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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23387497">Ascending</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/N3kkra/pseuds/N3kkra'>N3kkra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blackreach (Elder Scrolls), Blow Jobs, Companions, Cunnilingus, Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls), Escape from slavery, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Porn With Plot, Skyrim Main Quest, Slave Dragonborn, Slave to the Falmer, Slavery, Slow Burn, Smut, Stormcloaks (Elder Scrolls), Thieves Guild, sex with a falmer, teaching a falmer to laugh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:28:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>62,713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23387497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/N3kkra/pseuds/N3kkra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Felyndiira was captured by falmer and lived as their slave for over a year. After she finally escapes, she finds herself at the headsman's axe, staring up at a massive black dragon. Things certainly look up for the newest Dragonborn until she has to return to the one place she never thought she would see again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brynjolf/Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Original Male Character(s), Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Teldryn Sero, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Vilkas, female dovahkiin | dragonborn/male falmer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Blackreach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Got the idea for the Dragonborn being a falmer slave before finding out she's Dragonborn recently while playing again and exploring Blackreach. I wanted to explore the idea of a relationship with a falmer a little bit too, but knew I didn't want it to be the focus, so we're going to see where this one goes. Hope everyone enjoys. </p>
<p>**Here's a warning regarding the relationship between the main character and the falmer male.**<br/>She's looking to escape, so she's going to try to seduce one of the falmer males. I didn't think the 'rape' tag was appropriate because she is the one initiating and she is doing everything of her own accord, despite not genuinely wanting too. If this makes you uncomfortable, it should only happen in the second chapter with hints of it at the end of the first. You're more than welcome to skip ahead if you would like.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Falmer. Felyndiira had only heard of them but there was no doubt in her mind that’s what these things were. They were hunched forward with white skin that glowed in the bright moonlight. They had scrunched up faces with flat noses and long, pointed ears. They could have been mer once, but no more. Now they were creatures and they were more savage than the forsworn. </p><p>            Felyndiira fell behind the fallen wagon and covered her mouth in a vain attempt to mute her screams of terror. All she could see was blood and fire as the falmer slew her caravan. Some people were knocked down and grabbed by unarmed falmer with ropes. These people, weaker men and some women, were tied roughly and forced to remain face down in the road while the others killed and rummaged through the carts. </p><p>            She had to think of something. It was night, the moonlight and the fires spilling onto their wagons were the only bright lights. If she tried to run away, she’d end up lost, but that was no doubt better than the alternative. If she ran south, toward the flat plains, she could find Whiterun. All she had to do was get away without one of these falmer seeing her.</p><p>            Something grabbed Felyndiira by the hair and ripped her down to the ground. A falmer with gnarly cuts across his face and exposed skin, snarled at her when she looked up at him. He was smaller than the others, thinner through the shoulders and she could easily count his ribs given the time. He didn’t wear as much armor as the others –only a pair of wrist and ankle bracers, and a chitin plated loincloth– so, desperate in her fear, she felt a surge of confidence with her adrenaline and she grabbed the never-been-used knife off her belt and slashed haphazardly at the beast. </p><p>            The falmer hissed and bared rotted teeth. He turned the long, fierce looking blade he had and pointed it at her but she was still trying to cut at the arm holding her. The steel blade bit into the flesh of his forearm and she managed to jerk away just as he brought his sword down, point first, into her thigh. </p><p>            Felyndiira screamed, her head thrown back in agony. The falmer withdrew his blade and seized her hair with his bloody hand again and wrenched her over to the others being tied up. A female falmer with a staff came around and waved a glowing healing spell over the few falmer that were injured but when she got to the one that had gotten Felyndiira, she sniffed him and hissed before moving on, leaving his arm bleeding. This didn’t seem to surprise or upset him and he simply held his wound with his other hand and turned his head as if he were watching the female with his blind face. </p><p>            Felyndiira hoped the wound got infected. </p><p>            The falmer tied their hands together and then marched them to a nearby cave. It was easy enough to follow the hunched creatures, but the others tied to Felyndiira made it hard as they kept trying to escape or talk to their captors. Felyndiira also couldn’t move that quickly because of the wound in her thigh, which was bleeding profusely and causing her to limp. She was amazed she could move at all, but the female with the staff paused near her, sniffed –probably smelled the blood– and used a healing spell on the wound just long enough to get it to stop bleeding. It still hurt, but now she didn’t fear bleeding out.</p><p>            One man tried to urge the others to run together all at once, but everyone else knew he was crazy. They were greatly outnumbered by the falmer, and when he tried to run away, no one else moved, and the nearest falmer ran him through with his blade and cut the man’s ties to the others, leaving his body there in the cave to rot. Now there were five prisoners following twelve or so falmer down into Nirn’s depths. </p><p>            Felyndiira didn’t really know the other survivors well, she’d joined the caravan in Solitude and had aims to get to Whiterun, almost made it there too. There was an orc mercenary woman that had been a guard but she was disarmed quickly and had all but surrendered. Then there were two humans, a nord and a red guard, both were merchants; the nord man sold jewelry while the woman traded fine clothing. And the remaining survivor was a fellow dark elf, though she didn’t know him personally, she knew his name was Symir and he had been a thief brought along to make sure nothing was stolen. </p><p>            Felyndiira thought it was an interesting concept, hiring a thief to keep everyone in line, but the idea was that he could steal back anything that was taken, so there didn’t have to be bloodshed. Now, Symir was walking with his bound hands relaxed best they could be as they trudged along and Felyndiira wondered if he could get them out of this. </p><p>            She didn’t dare speak, any time the others would open their mouths to complain, one of the falmer would hit them, so she just watched him best she could from where she was behind him. </p><p>            The cave wound down into the ground until they came to a massive metal door set into stone. Felyndiira stared at it openly and knew right away it was dwarven make.</p><p>            The female falmer with the staff pushed open the door to show a dwarven hall. They snaked through the maze of collapsed corridors until they made it to another door, which opened to show a massive, open cavern dotted with bright blue lights from rocks and mushrooms. A hum droned in the space idly like nirnroot, but from all around.</p><p>            Felyndiira had never seen anything so beautiful and ominous.</p><p>            The falmer dragged them through old dwarven cobblestone roads to a fortress with a massive golden light hanging above it. Other falmer were waiting and greeted the returning group with touches and close face sniffing. Felyndiira noticed that the one that had grabbed her stood back, and was not greeted warmly. His arm appeared to have stopped bleeding.</p><p>            A human dressed in ragged clothes came up to Felyndiira and started to untie her. Her heart hammered as she looked at the falmer and tried to understand what was happening.</p><p>            “What’re you doing? We need to get out of here,” she whispered so lowly she was sure even Symir didn’t hear her. The nord didn’t look at her face as he worked the binds. Then she noticed his skin, pale from lack of light, pulled taunt over bones, clothes soiled and baggy, face dirty, and eyes distant. “What have they done to you?”</p><p>            He looked up at her when he finished untying the rope and stepped back. “We belong to them,” he said softly.</p><p>            A larger male falmer with a bow led the new group of five to the entrance to the fortress. Behind them other falmer waited, breathing loudly in anticipation. Felyndiira noticed the number of bows and wondered how they could possibly know where to fire.</p><p>            The big male waved for them to go down the steps, but it was in such a way that implied they were free to go. Felyndiira stiffened and then looked back at all the bow wielding falmer again. It was a trick.</p><p>            “Don’t do it,” she said as the orc woman took off. For a moment, she ran, and with that confidence, the nord darted on forward, his own strides taking him quickly past her. Felyndiira didn’t dare move, because the moment the two were both on cobblestone, the large male drew an arrow and knocked it.</p><p>            He found his mark perfectly square on the orc woman, right between her shoulder blades. A volley accompanied the second arrow from behind and the nord’s dodging left and right couldn’t keep him from receiving five arrows to the back with such force his body was pinned to the ground.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked over at the remaining two beside her, horror was plain on the woman’s face, but Symir looked as if he were calculating something.</p><p>            They were led off with other prisoners to a room where benches were lined up and a place for a speaker stood over them. More prisoners sat around this room and Felyndiira felt her heart sink deeper and deeper as she realized just how many people were here, that hadn’t escaped, that looked on the edge of death and were content with sitting here, unbound, and watched by falmer all around the room.</p><p>            A high elf man came forward, walking alongside a female falmer. She smacked him with her staff and he stumbled a step toward the new comers. “This is where we sleep, there is another space that way. You’ll be fed by one of the masters when they see fit. They will take out with them to do tasks. You know what will happen if you do not comply.”</p><p>            “I have to relieve myself,” the redguard woman said weakly.</p><p>            The high elf looked over at her and grimaced. “If you can, you may use hidden corners, but… you’ll usually just go where you are…”</p><p>            “In my…?”</p><p>            The high elf bowed his head and Felyndiira noticed his pants were dark in the crotch from old stains. She felt herself getting sick, she wanted to throw up, but she kept her lips clamped shut and her teeth ground together. Tears blurred her eyes and she looked up at the ceiling.</p><p>            That night she couldn’t stop the tears, though, and she cried as quietly as she could in the little corner she claimed for her resting place. She tried not to think about the stains on the walls. She only wanted this to be a horrible dream and to wake up in a bedroll back with the caravan.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>            A month after coming to what Felyndiira learned was called Blackreach, Symir made his escape. He had everyone convinced he’d made it until the falmer dragged half of his bloody corpse back and had all of the slaves watch the chaurus feast on what was left of him. It just reinforced the idea there was no escape, even if you got by the falmer, there were dwemer traps to deal with, and you still had to <em>find </em>your way out.</p><p>            The falmer that caught Felyndiira was referred to by the slaves as Scars. He had the most out of any of the others and as time went on, she learned why. He was all but shunned. He did everything with at least four feet between himself and another falmer. When he did get closer normally claws came out and he earned new scars –though he did give a few.</p><p>            Felyndiira asked why he was treated so poorly and all she could get from the few slaves that would talk was that Scars was from another clan of falmer and was seen as a sort of pack omega character. He wasn’t apart of their knitted group so he was reminded of his place below them and just above the slaves whenever he started to step out of line. </p><p>            Scars also seemed to focus on Felyndiira more than any other slave. When he came around and sniffed the slaves, picking out who he wanted to take with him on whatever task they were to do that day, he would linger on her. His face would always come up close to hers and she’d stiffen where she was so as not to touch him. </p><p>            Sometimes, while they were out picking mushrooms or mining ore, Scars would give her the remains of the food he’d been eating, bones with scraps or raw plants they’d dug up. It was disgusting but she quickly realized he was treating her somewhat like one would a dog. Scars saw her as a kind of pet, and while the other falmer beat her and the other slaves when they grew frustrated or if someone messed up, Scars never struck her, since he stabbed her in the leg at least. </p><p>            She still had a little bit of a limp, but the wound was healed. After six months with the falmer, she’d gotten used to how it felt and didn’t think about it anymore. She didn’t think about a few things anymore, the memories were too hard. </p><p>            After a year, she had all but given up the idea of escape. The fortress was watched by several bow equipped falmer day and night –the time being when the slaves were taken to their rooms to sleep, not dictated by the sun that Felyndiira had not seen since coming here. Sometimes, she thought she might be able to make a break for it when she was out picking mushrooms. But she would have to distract the falmer that were watching them. </p><p>            Every few weeks they would go to one spot that was very close to what looked to be a dwemer elevator. She wondered if the falmer even knew of its existence because the gates were shut but she thought a nearby lever had to be the access. She had no idea where it went but it had to be better than this. </p><p>            Only when she saw that elevator did she consider running away. And she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it alone. </p><p>            None of the other slaves were interested in leaving. Not even the red guard woman that had come with her. As soon as an escape was implied someone would run right to the nearest falmer and Felyndiira was hard pressed to get away and act like nothing had happened. She would have to wait for new recruits or a miracle if she wanted to make it out. </p><p>            Felyndiira lay in her corner, thinking about the elevator when loud breathing drew closer. She rolled over just enough to see Scars coming by on his rounds. He looked particularly down, a fresh bruise on his snow white shoulder. A thought occurred to her and she rolled onto her back and let out a soft whimper. </p><p>            At her sound, Scars paused, she could see his ear twitch. He came over, his steps near silent and his breath quieter as he listened carefully for her. She let out another sigh and got onto her side, propping herself up. Scars stopped a foot or so from her, sniffing the air as he tried to locate her exactly. He had lost a bracer since he captured her, but otherwise he was still in a loincloth and some ankle braces. </p><p>            Felyndiira looked around and bit her lip as she considered her next move carefully. It could go terribly wrong, but she wondered if it would ultimately work. The other slaves were asleep and the other falmer were paying Scars no mind. So as he turned away, she reached out, her hand drifting down his side in a feather-light touch. </p><p>            He froze and stiffened. His skin was cold and waxy to the touch. He turned his head down to look at her, or rather, face her. She kept her hand on his side and let it slide down to his hip. His hand went to his blade but he didn’t draw it. She tried not to shake as she brought her hand over the belt of his loincloth and rested her palm on his thigh. </p><p>            Scars turned to face her fully and she noticed the way his loincloth shifted. She felt more disgusting than she had ever in her life but she knew if this worked, he might start trusting her more, and then she could make a break for that elevator. She wasn’t sure how far she’d have to go, but she hoped just touching him here and there would be enough. </p><p>            Her hand on his thigh slipped away and she hummed thoughtfully and laid down, trying to act like she was comforted by his being there and she’d only had a bad dream or something. Perhaps she was putting too much thought into it, but she wasn’t sure how critical his thinking could be. </p><p>            Scars bent down and sniffed her deeply, and he ran a hand along her neck to her cheek in a way that made her shiver. In her mind she tried to imagine a handsome nord or dunmer touching her instead of the beast that was. It was going to be the only way she could get through this. He pulled away, leaving her with a sick pit in her stomach.</p><p>            She had to commit to this plan, or never touch him again, because this could go very, very wrong.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Freedom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira finds her chance to escape, but she has to distract Scars first.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's the warning regarding Felyndiira doing the do with a Falmer. I put two bold ** next to the beginning of the smut and then where it is safe to read again if you want to skip it, I'll supply at the end a brief note on what you need to know if you skipped it. There is close touching and sniffing (on Scars' part) leading up to what happens too, so if that makes you uncomfortable here's your warning for that as well.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            The next day, Felyndiira awoke to a crack from a staff hitting her in the thigh. She was used to being woken up this way by the females. Normally the males just kicked them or snarled loudly and suddenly in their ears, but the females were normally magically inclined and that resulted in them having staves that they never parted with. The staves were great for beating slaves with, and they did it just about as often as they could.</p><p>            Felyndiira rolled over and grunted, making it obvious that she was getting up, to avoid another smack. The female moved on, down the stairs to the slaves that slept down on a lower platform or in the benches. The previous night came back to her quickly, and Felyndiira felt a blush coming on so hard she wasn’t sure her dark cheeks could hide it even in this low lighting.</p><p>            Scars was nowhere to be seen, but that just meant he was probably off asleep or outside getting a group ready to go foraging. She hoped she didn’t see him for the day, so she could think about her next move.</p><p>            Unfortunately, Scars was outside the door waiting with a bow in hand and a satchel over his shoulder. This stood out to her because few falmer carried them, and fewer slaves were trusted with satchels. Of course, if Scars had one that meant he had recently killed an adventurer and taken it off of him. Felyndiira tried not to think about that and followed the other five slaves down the steps.</p><p>            Scars, a female, and another male guided them out of the fortress. They were going to a location that Felyndiira hadn’t been to yet. It took a few hours to get across Blackreach’s expanse and to the day’s location, and when they got there, Felyndiira was disappointed to find they would be mining. A group of slaves was already here –one dead from either exhaustion or beaten by his overseers– and they handed over their equipment and took the cart they’d filled with gems and ore when they left. Felyndiira imagined their group’s relief would bring a cart with them.</p><p>            Felyndiira got to work mining at an easy pace so she didn’t ware herself out. That was a mistake some of the new slaves made when they were first brought out to work. They seemed to think that they would be treated better if they brought in more than the others, or that they could ‘finish early’ but the falmer didn’t think that way. The mining or harvesting was done, and the groups were switched out when the <em>falmer</em> got tired of being out here. Which was usually over half the day, if not the whole.</p><p>            Scars circled their geode mine, bow in hand as he watched for anything. Well, tried to perceive anything. The other two falmer simply hung near the group, making sure that everyone worked, that no one rested for more than a few minutes.</p><p>            It was an art, learning how long you could go without swinging your pick, and Felyndiira was getting pretty good at it. She hated the idea of being a good slave, but she also didn’t like the idea of being beaten for being a bad one.</p><p>            A few hours went by like normal and then something seemed to catch Scars’ attention. He perked up and knocked an arrow, crouching low beside a massive glowing mushroom some feet above the mining group. The other two falmer picked up on his actions somehow, and readied themselves. They all stopped throwing their pickaxes and then Felyndiira heard it.</p><p>            Talking.</p><p>            “…amazing! This place is huge.”</p><p>            “Keep your voice down, I thought I heard something over here.”</p><p>            “Perhaps they’re locals? They could be friendly…”</p><p>            “Or falmer.”</p><p>            Felyndiira hadn’t been with a group when adventurers came down to Blackreach. It happened every once in a while, people were drawn by the prospect of treasure or knowledge, and no one was prepared for the amount of falmer that lived here. With so many ways to come down, it was impossible for the falmer to funnel the adventurers, so they only caught them in instances like this when they came down to Blackreach.</p><p>            Scars loosed his arrow with such speed that Felyndiira almost missed it.</p><p>            A man’s scream of pain accompanied a hard thud and then a woman swore. Scars knocked another arrow to the sound of distant magic being cast, and the other two falmer darted away, climbing the hill to join the fight. The female stayed back, near Scars, no doubt so she could keep some attention on the mining team.</p><p>            Felyndiira noticed that, but one of the miners didn’t. He tapped the shoulder of a woman by his side and they nodded to each other. Felyndiira stiffened and held her pick anxiously. They ran and she looked up in time to see the female falmer spin around and use her staff to send ice spikes out at them. They didn’t make it that far.</p><p>            A fiery explosion blew the female falmer down onto the vein. She hit with a hard and sudden <em>smack</em>, cracking open her head. Her staff flew out of her hand, tumbling away. Felyndiira and the others stepped back in shock. It was the first time she had seen one of them die since the day she’d been captured. It had almost gotten to the point she wasn’t sure if they could be killed.</p><p>            Another explosion sounded up above them and Felyndiira quickly grabbed the staff of ice spikes and held it awkwardly in both hands. She pointed it at the edge above them, waiting for someone to come over. The adventurers could help her get out, if they were still alive, but if Scars or the other male came around and noticed her holding the staff, they could beat her within an inch of her life for understandable –to them– reason.</p><p>            A woman screamed, long and angry, and there was another explosion, then silence. Behind her, the other slaves held their breath and gazed up with her at the edge to see who came back.</p><p>            An altmer woman came into view, and then immediately fell over the edge, her body landed limply on the female falmer. She was bleeding out a massive gash in her robes, faint lights in her hands went out as her spells faded away. Scars stood at the top of the cliff, looking down at them with a blind face, his blood blade in hand.</p><p>            The muscles in her arms twitched. She could kill him now, they could make it out of this.</p><p>            One of the slaves behind her ripped the staff out of her hand and dropped it to the ground. Scars shifted his weight and then hissed, sheathing his blade and disappearing out of sight again. Felyndiira spun around to glare at the person that had taken the staff from her.</p><p>            “Did you think I was going to hurt him?”</p><p>            The man just glared back. Another slave whispered, “I would have….”</p><p>            No one said anything else. Scars came down from the hilltop, dragging a breton body dressed in dusty, but fine clothes. Behind him limped the other male, who had taken a few hits and at least one of the blasts of fire from the altmer mage. Scars tossed the body down in front of Felyndiira and grunted at it. She knew this meant loot the corpse.</p><p>            When the others moved toward the bodies, Scars snapped at them, snarling loudly. They were surprised, but remained where they were while Felyndiira searched the breton for anything of interest. The falmer found things interesting that most people left, like broken jewelry, shattered soul gem fragments, and useless parts of plants and beings that no alchemist had an interest in.</p><p>            The breton had a few things on him and in his bag. Aside from travel rations and a waterskin that was half full, he had a golden ring with a sharp red garnet set into it, a pouch of gold, a few books that detailed dwemer ruins and alchemy tricks, a steel dagger, and a huge soul gem, glimmering with a soul trapped inside.</p><p>            She handed over the items to Scars who tucked most of them into the satchel he had, and then motioned for her to continue on the other two mer bodies. She felt more uncomfortable with searching the falmer woman because of the fact she was one of the slave drivers that had watched over her the last year. After she gave everything she found to Scars, he waved for everyone to start walking, back the way they’d come. She noticed how they left what they’d been working on, but she didn’t think the falmer were concerned with it anymore, not after losing one of their own and two slaves.</p><p>            Halfway back, the other falmer killed over. He had been lagging behind the whole trip, but Scars didn’t slow down for him, like they never slowed down for him. Felyndiira understood where the small male was coming from, but she was curious what would happen now that there were four slaves and only one, small, falmer guiding them back.</p><p>            They were within sight of the fortress when the first slave made a break for it. Felyindiira guessed they realized it was now or never and they couldn’t talk themselves out of it. She understood, she’d been having the same inner battle, the only thing stopping here was the fact that Scars was armed with the staff of ice spikes and she knew his aim was deadly.</p><p>            Scars turned and lifted the staff, sending spike after spike after the fleeing slave. As he did this, another broke the other way, darting off so quickly, she thought he hadn’t noticed. The other slave stared in horror and clammed up. Felyndiira looked back at Scars as he twisted the staff, the ice spikes kept hitting mushrooms, just barely missing the slave.</p><p>            Felyndiira lunged at Scars, grabbed his bow and an arrow. He barely turned to her as she turned the bow on the other escaping slave and fired, trying to lead the runner just enough.</p><p>            The arrow sank into the woman’s back, dropping her hard to the ground.</p><p>            Scars hissed and lifted the staff again, sailing a final spike off toward the first runner. This time he was in a wide enough clearing nothing could save him.</p><p>            Felyndiira handed the bow back with shaking hands. She had only ever used one on still targets, but she had read a few books. Scars took the bow and stood a little straighter, bringing him closer to her height. His head tilted as he faced her, as if he was trying to see her with his blind eyes. She didn’t move, but she tried to keep her breathing even.</p><p>            Running steps came up and she and Scars parted. The other falmer did a lot of growling and hissing with Scars, but ultimately, she was escorted back with the other slave, forced to leave him in the streets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>            Felyndiira knew she’d hesitated because she knew she wouldn’t be able to escape while so close to the fortress. She imagined how differently everything could have gone, how many times she could have gotten away and didn’t. But she and one other slave made it back, no one got away.</p><p>            Two might have if she hadn’t helped Scars.</p><p>            Felyndiira turned over and stared at the wall as she tried to justify her actions today. If nothing else, she had earned some trust with him. He was witness to her choosing to shoot another slave over him. Of course, she did have plans of escaping, but she was pretty sure he didn’t suspect her.</p><p>            Her thoughts were all but confirmed when Scars came by on his rounds that night and stopped by her. He hung nearby for a moment, his breathing becoming quiet. She’d learned when their breathing became quiet; it was because they were focusing, or were trying not to attract attention. Unfortunately, with the slaves, a quiet falmer drew attention and she slowly shifted so she could look up at him.</p><p>            He stood crouched like usual, but he had his satchel in hand. He tilted his head when she looked at him and came closer. Lifting the bag, he offered it to her and she sat up so she could take it. It was still full of the things he’d put in it earlier, and she blinked at the gift. She looked up at him and shook her head.</p><p>            “I… uh,” she knew she couldn’t thank him or refuse it. Nothing she said would make sense to him and it was an odd mark of station for a slave to have possessions. If she was lucky, none of the falmer would think she stole it and take it from her with a swift beating. But in this moment, she was smiling a little. He was starting to trust her even more than she realized.</p><p>            Felyndiira rested her hand on his knee and leaned forward, putting her face near his. His breathing stopped, and she watched his ugly, blind face contort as he tried to predict what she was about to do.</p><p>            “Thank you,” she whispered and closed her eyes as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. When her lips touched his skin, he gasped.</p><p>            She pulled away and watched as he hovered there and swallowed hard, his blind face perplexed. It took him a moment to finally get himself up and moving away from her. She smiled a little to herself, she might be able to leave the next time they go out to that elevator.</p><p>            She slept better that night because she dreamed of the warm summer sun on her skin and soft Pale snow under her feet. She didn’t care if she ended up in the snow of the north or the hot springs of the east, she couldn’t wait to be out of the dark.</p><p>            The next morning, she was woken up early by an odd sound. It took her brain a second to realize what it was.</p><p>            Felyndiira’s eyes snapped open and she snatched the satchel from the slave in front of her.</p><p>            The man dropped the soul gem he was holding, surprised by her sudden wake. She scooped it up and placed it back in the bag and then grabbed the knife that had been under her cheek for just such occasions. When Scars gave her the bag, the steel blade she’d taken off of the researcher was still inside, whether he did it on accident or not, she wasn’t sure. Faithful slaves were permitted weapons because they were trusted to defend the falmer, and she could see why Scars would trust her with a weapon after what she’d done yesterday.</p><p>            The man lifted his hands but he glared at her. He was the one that made it back with her yesterday, she thought he’d said his name was Galjorn, and he was from Kynesgrove. “I know what you’re doing, and I can’t let you do it.”</p><p>            “What are you talking about? You’re trying to steal from me,” she snapped and pointed the dagger at his throat.</p><p>            “You’re trying to get close to Scars so he’ll let his guard down,” he said matter-of-factly. “Then you’re going to try to kill him and escape!”</p><p>            When he shouted she jabbed the knife forward, pressing it to his throat with enough pressure to start drawing a thin red line. He squeaked and stiffened, leaning against the wall to get as far from her as he could. She looked around and saw a few slaves starting to wake up and a falmer coming to investigate the talking.</p><p>            She didn’t want to be found holding a blade up to another slave, so she turned back to him and said, “I’m not going to kill him. You’re nuts, and I don’t ever want to see you touching my stuff again, s’wit,” she snarled and sheathed the blade.</p><p>            Despite being larger than her, he crawled away and she stood up, looking down at him, and then the falmer that came to investigate. The falmer sniffed at her, but moved on when Felyndiira just stood there.</p><p>            Scars disappeared for a few days, leaving her to fend off the other slaves and falmer. She lost a few items from her bag, but she kept the gold, soul gem, and knife, which were most important to her. She was feeding the chauruses when Scars finally came back. He had accompanied a large group to the surface by the look of their haul of loot and new slaves. He was also now equipped with a full set of armor, leaving his torso now only half exposed and his new loincloth draped heavily to the ground as he crouched in place. His forearms and shins were guarded with the same armor, leaving Felyndiira wondering just what had happened to the outcast while he was away.</p><p>            While the other falmer and slaves went to the entrance like they did every time, she hung back and noticed how Scars sniffed around the crowd, looking for something. When the new slaves witnessed what happened to runners, he found her, sniffing at her before settling beside her in his comfortable crouch.</p><p>            Felyndiira touched his shoulder, her hand resting there for a moment. He tilted his head and she swore she felt him relax a little.</p><p>            She felt eyes on her, and she looked up to see Galjorn glaring at her from across the crowd. She stiffened just a little and her hand on Scars’ shoulder retracted. He tilted his head again, looking up at her briefly before scurrying away. She gripped the strap of her satchel and stared at the nord, hoping her face was as passive as she wanted it to be.</p><p>            Galjorn was picked for the same mushroom foraging trip as her the next day. Scars seemed to be one of the primary falmer this time, instead of his bottom of the barrel usual role. As they left the castle, she noted they were going a different direction, a new spot it seemed. Felyndiira resigned herself to the trip, knowing Galjorn would keep a close eye on her anyway, and the likelihood of getting on the elevator was minute without him staring daggers at her.</p><p>            Scars stopped them in the middle the road not far from the fortress. This spot was mushroom heavy and some chauruses took up residence, making piles of eggs up on the rocks and stacked in the road. Felyndiira hated gathering mushrooms around chaurus eggs, the nests were soaked with their black excretion and it smelled as well as stung her hands when she had to push them out of the way. Plus, when a chaurus saw you messing with its nest, it would usually come up and attack you, forcing a falmer to come save you <em>and </em>then they’d beat you for it anyway. No, this wasn’t going to be pleasant at all.</p><p>            Scars passed by Felyndiira a few times as he watched the slaves. The other two falmer stood watch, looking up and down the road. Felyndiira drifted away from the group, tired of Galjorn watching her as she plucked mushrooms and offered some to Scars when he passed by. She pointedly stared back at the nord when Scars hummed at her and touched her shoulder or cheek. It was hard not to flinch at his touch, but he needed to believe she wanted it, so she held still when he reached for her. Galjorn only looked more and more pissed off with every interaction.</p><p>            Felyndiira moved to a new area of mushrooms around a corner, down another road that intersected the main street. Here she was out of sight of the other slaves, but when Scars walked by, he could keep tabs on her. This time when he walked by, he let his hand slide over her back as she was bent over the mushrooms. She looked up at him, watching as he kept moving, like he was trying to decide what he was going to do, like he was working up the nerve. Funny how an echo of their former glory could be seen in how they acted in social moments like this. His passes with little touches weren’t that of an animal, but of a man with a crush.</p><p>            She watched him walk by and that’s when she saw it, a dwarven tower beyond him. She stood up straight and looked around to make sure no one saw her as she moved a little closer to see what sort of building it was. A smaller road than the one she was on led off toward the tower that stretched all the way up to Blackreach’s ceiling, just like the elevator she’d seen before. A stream of water that had overtaken the road, covering a large part of it, but she thought she could easily make it through. If she ran, she could make get to the elevator, but the water would be loud, and if she took too long to escape, Scars would notice her absence. In both cases, she would have the falmer on her before she could get the elevator working, and then she would lose any and all work with Scars she’d made.</p><p>            Swallowing hard, she looked around then returned to the mushrooms she’d been picking. This was the day, she was going to make it out, but she needed Scars here, she needed to get him to take her close to it and she thought she knew how.</p><p>            When Scars came by she turned to him and tapped her throat, it was a slaves way of saying they needed something to drink. Usually, it was a fifty-fifty shot of getting a beating or a vial of dirty water, but Scars straightened up dutifully and waved for her to follow. She did and he guided her to the flooded road. He scooped some water using his hands and poured it into his mouth. The flowing water moved rapidly and she could hear the waterfall nearby. She smiled and looked back to see if anyone had followed. When she saw no one, she bent down and poured water into her mouth like Scars did.</p><p>            Scars watched her and she playfully splashed some water at him. He jerked, startled by the action, and he bared his teeth just as she laughed lightly. He stiffened and wiped at the water, seeming to realize she wasn’t attacking him, but playing. He tilted his head and then turned to the water and slapped it lightly, then flicked some back at her. She laughed and shot more at him.</p><p>            Scars jerked his head back slightly, an odd noise coming from him, it was low, throaty, and might have been a chuckle. He moved closer and splashed some water at her a couple more times. She giggled exaggeratedly and scooped up a pool with two hands together and threw it squarely into his chest. He shuddered and grabbed her wrists, holding them firmly between them.</p><p>            She was kneeling, so she had to look up at him now, even though he was crouched. Scars pulled her closer, and she let him. His face came close to hers and she tried not to think about the way his eyes were always closed from his blindness, or the way his missing nose made his flat face look like a troll’s instead of a man’s. He was an ugly creature, but she wasn’t nearly as shocked by it as she had been when she first came here.</p><p><strong>**</strong>            Felyndiira leaned in and closed her eyes, pressing her lips to his. At first, he didn’t seem to realize what was happening and bared his teeth in confusion. She moved her mouth to his jaw and gave him a few, soft kisses. She rotated her arms in his grasp so she could hold his forearms, then, when he let go, she moved her hands up from his bracers to his exposed biceps and then to his chest. She continued to kiss his jaw, up to his ear when she groaned throatily and let her teeth graze his ear.</p><p>            He snarled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close suddenly. She giggled, like when they were splashing water to encourage him, show him he was doing good. Then she ran her hands down his sides, touching his exposed skin. Her fingers slid under his arm and she tilted her face so her cheek pressed into his. He moaned and bucked his hips. She felt his belt press into her stomach, and she was sure something else.</p><p>            Felyndiira kissed down his neck and he tilted his head, his hands moving from her back to her arms. He didn’t seem to know where she was going. She slipped her hands down from his side, past the sword on his belt, to the cloth hanging between his legs. She took a deep breath, eyes locked on her movement as she pushed the fabric aside to expose his white erection. It stood straight out, and throbbed almost painfully.</p><p>            She swallowed hard and bent to wet her hands in the water and poured some water over it, trying to clean it enough to make what was about to happen less filthy. He shuddered, but didn’t move otherwise as she moved her wet hands along his length. It wasn’t an intimidating size –she briefly feared he would be huge, or deformed, or even tiny– but it was normal, and it looked… normal despite being almost as pale as the rest of him.</p><p>            Felyndiira lowered onto her hand for support, putting her face beside his length. She looked up at him and then pressed her lips to his head. He gasped, stiffening, and remained still as she moved forward, taking more of him in at once. She was happy she’d washed him off, if just briefly.</p><p>            When she started to pull back, he moaned, head tilting back. His hands came to rest on her shoulder and head. She swallowed and moved back forward, slowly, taking him back in, inch by inch. Scars moaned, throatily and gripped her hair tightly.</p><p>            Then rapid footsteps shocked her into pulling away like she was being caught. Scars snarled, shocked and suddenly angry. They both looked up to see Galjorn running up with what looked like a stick he’d picked up as an impromptu weapon.</p><p>            “I won’t let you hurt him–!” he was saying and then he seemed to realize what he’d run in on.</p><p>            But it was too late, as he came to an abrupt stop, Scars grabbed his sword –either misunderstanding the slave for attacking him, or just too angry at being interrupted to care– and ran Galjorn through. Galjorn gasped in shock and dropped the stick. He fell to his knees and Scars withdrew his sword, then swung it over him and in a swift, lean movement, taking Galjorn’s head right off his shoulders.</p><p>            Felyndiira scooted back, away from the body as it tumbled forward and the head rolled into the water, swiftly picked up by the current. She was mildly surprised that Scars’ cock still stood just as hard. He turned back to her, crouching back to his normal height and he came over, laying his sword down beside the road.</p><p>            She kept still as he returned to her, climbing between her bent legs to put his face back in front of hers. He sniffed her and hummed quietly. She tilted her head to the side and he leaned in, his mouth settling on the soft skin of her neck similarly to what she’d done to him. It surprisingly felt good, even when his teeth grazed her. She felt oddly trusting of him not to bite her too hard, and she didn’t even flinch when his hand slipped under her tattered dress, pushing it aside.</p><p>            Felyndiira moaned as his hand ventured down her thigh and found her heat. He obviously knew this is where he needed to touch her, but she wasn’t surprised it took him a moment to realize she was wearing more clothing there.</p><p>            His breathing was loud, ragged in her ear and when his fingers finally made it under the cloth, he hissed and pulled away from her neck. She leaned back as he ducked down to remove the fabric impeding his progress. She startled when he ripped the smallclothes away with his nails and teeth. Her heart hammered now that he was face to face with her lower half. She was aware he couldn’t see her, but then he sniffed and she winced, her body prickling with the idea of what was going to happen.</p><p>            Scars leaned in, sniffing her deeper and she had to look away. She didn’t like this; at least, she didn’t think she did. It was embarrassing, shameful. She could never imagine a man <em>sniffing </em>her like the falmer was right now and it made her squirm. Scars wasn’t worried at all, he just dragged his tongue along her lips from bottom to top and she shivered. Scars took a moment to lick her several more times and then he growled and climbed over her, lowering his hips. He let his cock rest on her belly and he leaned toward her face, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him, his mouth wet with her juices, so she tilted her head back so he could have her neck again.</p><p>            His mouth closed on her throat and he sucked and kissed her as he jerked his hips, dragging his length along her skin, pressing his balls against her clit. She hated that she liked this, the way he brought a hand down to hold her hip, how he kissed and loved on her neck, making soft sounds of pleasure. His other hand moved to her hair, pulling the black strands slightly at the roots. She started imagining him as something else, someone else.</p><p>            Felyndiira reached down for his length, gave it a few tugs, and then bent so she could get a good angle and pushed his lower head down over her clit roughly. She moaned and tilted her head so her noises were right in his ear, how he liked. His breathing grew louder and she wondered if this alone was getting him close.</p><p>            She gripped him tightly and ran his head along her lips, soaking him. His hips jerked and she groaned. He liked that, and gave them another thrust. His cock lined up and he dipped the tip in. She bit her lip at the feeling of being parted and found her nails digging into his back. Scars snarled and bared his teeth, but she could tell it was in pleasure.</p><p>            He didn’t wait, and gave another thrust, pushing himself as deep as he could go. Felyndiira gasped and her legs wrapped around his waist. She moaned and he growled into her neck. Her other hand grabbed the armor of his shoulder and she arched her back, pressing against him. He started moving quickly, his hips thrusting rapidly. Briefly she was reminded of dogs, but she didn’t think about that long.</p><p>            Scars pulled her hair so she tilted her head and looked at him. He found her mouth with his and she tried not to think about his face or the taste of herself on him, but instead let him kiss her as he pounded her. It only lasted a moment, but she imagined what he would have looked like if he wasn't this creature, if he was still the snow elf of old. His white skin meeting her dark flesh with delicious slaps. The fantasy made her hold him tighter, moaning lustfully into his lips.</p><p>            His thrusts stopped abruptly and she felt it, him pulsing inside her. She swallowed hard, pulling away from his kiss as the fantasy faded. He gave her a few more thrusts, and then laid her down on the ground gently. He settled down beside her, his breathing heavy as he lay on his back. Felyndiira looked around, saw the elevator, and swallowed hard, her throat dry.</p><p><strong>**</strong>            She looked back at Scars, he was trying to slow his breathing. If she was going to go, it would have to be soon, otherwise she’d have to do this again.</p><p>            Felyndiira moved over to the water and rinsed herself out best she could. She didn’t think she had the stomach to run with his seed inside her, at least now she could pretend it was gone. Then she stood up and retrieved her satchel –it had come off her shoulder at some point. Scars didn’t seem too concerned with her as she moved around.</p><p>            So when she grabbed the sword he’d left out of arms reach and dashed for the elevator, she was halfway across the water when he finally got to his feet. She could hear him snarl loudly, an ugly, guttural sound that was nothing like the noises he’d made while he fucked her. She wasn’t sure if she imagined the sound of betrayal in his calls.</p><p>            Felyndiira stumbled through the deepest part of the quick moving water, but by the time an arrow whistled by her, she reached the dwarven style head in front of the elevator. A glowing button sat on top, she pressed it and the bars blocking the elevator sank into the ground. She rounded the button and spinning gears, running into the elevator as quickly as she could.</p><p>            Scars grabbed her arm, wrenching her back so suddenly her arm hurt.</p><p>            She looked down at him, horror plane on her face, and then she jabbed the sword into his gut. He choked, dropping her arm in surprise. She ripped the sword out and let him fall to the ground before she ran for the elevator. She got it and practically fell on the lever.</p><p>            The platform lifted. A falmer arrow shot by her, thrown off by the moving ground, the others had reached Scars. Another arrow made it in just as the opening closed.</p><p>            Felyndiira sank to the floor and tried to slow her breathing. She’d made it. She’d gotten away. And now she was on her way back to the surface.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you skipped the smut, the short and PG-13 of it is that they start doing stuff, and get interrupted by Galjorn who thinks Felyndiira is trying to kill Scars. Scars, mad at being interrupted, attacks and kills Galjorn. Then Felyndiira and Scars go back to doing what they were before.</p><p>Hope y'all are enjoying so far, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Stormcloaks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira makes it out and now she's got to find someone to help keep her safe from the falmer. At least there's a camp nearby.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Snow flurried in from the space between the bars making the up the cage like walls. Felyndiira took in several long, slow breaths. It burned her lungs, but the air was so clean it made her head spin. It was purity, it was freedom. She hadn’t even noticed how used to the stagnant air of Blackreach she’d gotten.</p><p>            Tears welled up in her eyes and then spilled over to stream down her cheeks. She smiled and shook her head in disbelief. Absently, she found a lever, pulled it, and opened a gate allowing her to step out onto the dwarven stairway that lead up to the elevator from down a mountain side. She had no idea where she was, but she honestly didn’t care.</p><p>            Her bare feet stepped into the snow, crunching it loudly. She smiled again, looking down at her dirty, callused feet. She’d been forced to walk around bare foot since her boots were stolen in her first month. Since the falmer were bare foot, complaining got you nowhere. She had sucked it up and taken the hard road, now she had tough feet.</p><p>            But she didn’t have to have them anymore. She could find a pair of shoes.</p><p>            Well, buy a pair. She swallowed and wrapped her arms around herself as the cold finally started to kick in. She looked around, but the snow made it hard to see anything. She could just follow the path for as long as her legs would take her.</p><p>            The elevator groaned and she spun around, seeing the gate close and the platform sink. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. The falmer were going to come after her. They wouldn’t just let her go. If they got her, they’d make an example of her, feed her live to the chaurus or something worse….</p><p>            Felyndiira started running, going down the snowy, stone steps as quickly as she could. She had to put as much distance between her and the elevator as she could. They would be able to track her, and the snow would only make it easier.</p><p>            The stairs looked like they zigzagged down the mountainside, but as she reached one of the turns, she noticed light in the trees off the path. It was a fire of some kind. Her heart hammered and she looked back at the elevator. Maybe the fire would be people who could help her?</p><p>            Or bandits that would just rob and kill her.</p><p>            She shook her head and charged into the woods, toward the light. She had to risk it, otherwise she would end up dead anyway.</p><p>            A large camp of tents pitched in a circle around a fire sat in a small clearing. Horses were tied up nearby and she saw some people walking around the outer ring of the camp. They wore blue draped armor with roaring bear shields.</p><p>            Stormcloaks.</p><p>            “Help!” she called, announcing herself and throwing her free hand up in surrender. She didn’t have anywhere to put her sword, but she wasn’t going to drop it. “Falmer!” she screamed.</p><p>            The lookouts drew their weapons as she stumbled forward. Her feet were freezing, going numb, and making it hard to walk correctly. The closest Stormcloak aimed his bow at her, his expression hid by his helmet. Around him came a woman with a scaled helmet that showed her skeptical face. She held a two handed iron battleaxe, poised to strike as she approached Felyndiira.</p><p>            “Where?”</p><p>            “The dwarven elevator up there, I escaped,” she stuttered her words, the cold seeping into her core.</p><p>            The nords, unbothered by the cold, looked past her. The woman wrinkled her nose and then eyed Felyndiira again.</p><p>            A few more soldiers came around, shields and weapons raised. “Please,” Felyndiira begged. “I just need… something warm.”</p><p>            A man with a bear pelt draped over his head and shoulders came forward, his nord face creased with suspicion. He opened his mouth to say something and a gnarly arrow <em>thunked</em> right in into his shoulder, staggering him.</p><p>            “Falmer!” someone screamed in alarm and Felyndiira sprinted for the camp, knowing they were behind her.</p><p>            The Stormcloaks with melee weapons raced into the woods while the archers hung back and fired arrows at shadows in the trees. Felyndiira ducked down beside a table and looked around as the fighting echoed around her. The snarls and hisses of falmer mixed with the warrior cries and screams of the dying.</p><p>            It happened so fast. She’d only just escaped, and here she was, defenseless and hiding just like she had last time the falmer attacked. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked rapidly to try to keep them back. This was all her fault. The men and women dying now were because of her.</p><p>            The table she hid beside was tucked into a tent with the whole front held open to the fire in the middle of the camp. She had picked this tent because it had the backside facing the falmer’s primary direction. She hoped they wouldn’t come into the camp at all, or at least far enough to notice her if they did.</p><p>            A Stormcloak man stumbled back into her view, blocking a hit brought down on him from a lunging falmer. He grunted and used his handaxe to block again, but the falmer was able to spring up from his crouch, and this technique was new to the Stormcloak who wasn’t able to adjust his attack to actually hit the creature.</p><p>            Realizing she still had Scars’ sword, Felyndiira inched to the edge of the tent and looked around. The Stormcloak tried to kick the falmer warrior back, but he wasn’t able to land a hit. If he backed up any more, he would end up in the fire pit.</p><p>            Felyndiira ran out of the tent and thrust her sword forward so it stuck in the falmer’s back. The creature threw his head back and howled. She pulled the sword out and gave him a good slash just as the Stormcloak took off his head with a swift slice of his axe.</p><p>            The Stormcloak looked at her, his eyes wide in surprise. He must have lost his helmet at some point, or maybe he never had one. His long, blond hair was brushed out his face and a single braid hung on the right side. He was dirty in the face, but he had a kind expression as he relaxed some.</p><p>            “Thanks, elf.”</p><p>            “Felyndiira,” she supplied him.</p><p>            “Ralof,” he said to her and nodded in greeting.</p><p>            She nodded back and gripped the sword with both hands. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”</p><p>            “Go back and hide there, we’ll drive them back,” he said and gestured back where she’d been.</p><p>            She nodded and quickly retreated back to the tent, crouching down beside the table again.</p><p>            The fighting started to drift, like it was climbing the hill, leaving the camp, and Felyndiira shifted so she knelt more comfortably. Then she looked at the table and noticed it had a map of Skyrim on it. Red and blue flags dotted the whole thing with little pieces of different shapes sprinkled what almost looked to be randomly about.</p><p>            She tried to find where she thought she might be. Snow meant the north. Stormcloaks were more common in the east, but they could be in any hold with the war going on. She narrowed her eyes at the plans and pursed her lips.</p><p>            “So, you’re an imperial spy then?”</p><p>            The man’s voice was a deep rumble, thick with a nord accent. Felyndiira jumped and looked up to see the man that wore the bear pelt. The arrow still stuck out of his shoulder. He was tall, well over six feet, and handsome. He strode into the tent with the kind of confidence she’d only seen on men with power. He swept the bear off his head and tossed it onto the nearby bed.</p><p>            She stood up nervously realizing only now what looking at the battlemap looked like to the racist, paranoid Stormcloak rebels.</p><p>            “Using the falmer was a good distraction,” he continued, but didn’t look at her. She noticed two Stormcloaks stood at the entrance to the tent now, their backs to them. She gulped and looked back at the man. “I have yet to see the empire use falmer, but I suppose if they’re willing to deal with Thalmor, the snow elves aren’t going to be much different.”</p><p>            The nord grabbed the arrow in his shoulder and ripped it out. She winced, but he barely blinked. He pushed the thick robes he wore to the side, exposing his white, nordic flesh with a bright red, angry wound, and grabbed a bottle of alcohol off of the nightstand beside the bed. He poured it over the wound and then looked up at her. His blue eyes were stark in the flickering firelight. The candles and braziers around the tent provided light, but there was a different kind of fire in this man’s eyes.</p><p>            “Well, are you going to deny it, grey-skin?”</p><p>            “I’m not a spy,” she finally managed and swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but at least this threat she could speak to. She would take this over the falmer.</p><p>            He took a swig of his drink and put it down on the table. “Then why are you here?” He looked away from her again, opening a drawer in his nightstand to pull out some herbs.</p><p>            “I escaped the falmer,” she said and tried to sound confident. “I’ve… I was down there a long time.”</p><p>            “How’d you get away? They were close behind you,” he commented and glanced at her.</p><p>            “I gain the trust of one of them. He let his guard down and I ran,” she said and shifted her weight. She would never tell anyone what really happened.</p><p>            The nord looked at her, his gaze heavy like a weight on her shoulders. “What was your plan once you escaped?”</p><p>            She thought about that and shrugged. “Find a city, or people….”</p><p>            He smirked and nodded, then he picked up a flower, bit it off its stem and chewed it for a second, then he pushed the mush into the wound. The ugly, bright red wound started to soothe. He rolled his shoulder and straightened his shirt back in place. “What if you hadn’t found us?”</p><p>            “I would have kept going,” she said honestly. He nodded, pursing his lips thoughtfully. He had a groomed beard and combed hair with styled braids perfectly symmetrical on either side of his head. She continued, “I would probably be dead now.”</p><p>            He smiled at her and bit his lip like a thought occurred to him. “What do you plan to do now?”</p><p>            “I don’t know,” she said and shrugged. She still held the sword, it was heavy in her hand, but she didn’t have anywhere to put it. It was making her arm tired, though, and holding it while he was unarmed didn’t give off the trusting air she was trying to give.</p><p>            “Do you know who we are?” he asked, curiously.</p><p>            “Stormcloaks,” she stated, hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a debate about whether or not she should be allowed here as a dark elf.</p><p>            “Do you know who I am?” He came to stand beside his battle map, leaning against the table with his arms crossed.</p><p>            She thought about all the Stormcloak generals’ names that she’d heard, but honestly, she couldn’t remember any but the Jarl of Windhelm and leader of the rebellion himself. So she said, “Ulfric Stormcloak?”</p><p>            He smiled at her, a handsome thing that brightened his face. “Very good. I have to admit, I’m surprised you could name me.”</p><p>            “Your reputation precedes you,” she stated. Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak had recently killed the High King of Skyrim and was branded a trader to the Empire. She was in Solitude when it happened, but hadn’t paid it any closer mind than she did most nord politics. She was more worried about finding work, buying a house, finding a life partner. She couldn’t get away from talk of Ulfric, though, how handsome and charismatic he was, the hero he had been in the last war, how he was a great and terrible man. “And if I guessed every Stormcloak was you, eventually I’d be right,” she added.</p><p>            Ulfric laughed, loudly and deeply. “I guess you’re right, but you would flatter many a man; there are hundreds that wear my colors.”</p><p>            “Well, I got it right on the first try,” she offered with a shrug and he laughed again.</p><p>            “I like you,” he said and pointed at her. He lifted his chin so he looked down at her. “You’ll need fresh clothes, and a place to sleep. But my resources are limited, what could you give me to earn that which I give you?”</p><p>            Felyndiira shifted. She wondered when this would come up. Not all nords would give the shirt off their back unless it was for a fellow nord. And even then they only did it for the charity of it. Felyndiira opened her satchel and looked into it. “I have some gold… and a soul gem.”</p><p>            She pushed the items around. There was also a book and some alchemy ingredients. Ulfric waited for her to come closer and offer him the whole satchel. He took it from her, his gaze rolling down her from face to bare toes.</p><p>            “Do you have nord in you?” he asked rather suddenly when he took the bag. The question caught her off guard.</p><p>            “No. Not that I know of,” she said, shaking her head. “Both my parents were dunmer.”</p><p>            “Shame,” he sighed and nodded at the bag. “This will do. I’ll have the smith set you up with some spare clothes and get you a meal and bedroll. You can sleep in the tent with the wounded.”</p><p>            “Thank you,” she said and started to leave.</p><p>            “Be careful, little elf, it’s a dangerous world out there, as you well know. Not all men bare a love for dunmer.”</p><p>            She stiffened at that and quickly exited the tent.</p><p>            Ulfric was good for his word, and she was given a spare set of ill fitting common clothes and a pair of black boots that were a few sizes too large. She got a worn down bedroll, but it was all so much better than what she’d had with the falmer, she didn’t even consider complaining. She still didn’t have small clothes, because she didn’t have the mind to tell them she was lacking and no one asked, so she went bare under the loose trousers.</p><p>            Most of the Stormcloaks kept their distance from her, which was fine by here. Ralof was friendly, though, and sat beside her by the fire while they ate.</p><p>            He told her about the small town he was from, a settlement in Whiterun hold called Riverwood. She hadn’t heard of it, but it sounded nice. He asked her about where she was from, but she didn’t have much to tell him. She and her family were poor farmers, living just off the swamps near Solitude. She sold their goods to people who had stalls in the city, because she couldn’t afford a stall for herself. She had been on her way to Whiterun to try selling their crops for better prices. If it turned out well, they were going to move down there.</p><p>            She wondered what her parents had done with her gone for a year? Did they think she ran away? That she was killed? They no doubt heard about the caravan….</p><p>            Felyndiira decided she would try to get a wagon ride back to Solitude. After she got some money. Ulfric took everything she had, but Scars’ sword.</p><p>            She looked at the blade, laying it across her lap as Ralof left her to sleep. She ran her fingers along the red stained flat side. It was dirty, from being used and from never being cleaned. The falmer didn’t care for their weapons like surface men did, they just replaced them when they broke or stopped working as well. Scars hadn’t had this sword long, by the sharpness of the edge. It had chaurus pieces in the hilt and the blade was worked from the ore they mined. What mattered, though, was that it was sharp, and that it would kill.</p><p>            Felyndiira stood up and grabbed her bedroll. She would sleep, and she knew it would be the most restful sleep she’d had in a year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>            Felyndiira woke to someone nudging her shoulder. She startled, jerking up, but quickly relaxed when she saw Ralof’s kind expression.</p><p>            “We’re moving out, Felyn,” he said and straightened up. “Ulfric says you’re to come with us. We’ll drop you off on the main road. If you head directly east, you’ll find Windhelm in a couple of hours.”</p><p>            “Thanks,” she said and stood up, gathering up the bedroll and then decided to leave it. She didn’t have any reason to bring it, no one would buy it from her, and frankly, she didn’t want to carry it. Her sword was enough.</p><p>            The soldiers that were moving out gathered and marched down out of the woods to the main road. Felyndiira hung back, with Ralof, watching the more sure-footed men find a path through the snowy slope.</p><p>            The first Stormcloak that fell earned some laughs from the men in the back until someone shouted, “<em>Ambush!</em>” and someone else screamed, “<em>Imperials!</em>”</p><p>            Felyndiira gasped and dropped to the snow, soaking her new clothes in freezing water as it clung to her. Volleyed arrows flew over her now prone position. The Stormcloaks charged, yelling just as they had the night before, but Felyndiira could easily see the dark spots of imperial legionnaires and she saw far more red and brown than she did blue and silver.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Helgen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You know what happens in Helgen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Special Thanks to TheClumsyScribe for helping me write this up and answer big questions in Felyndiira's story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Felyndiira woke up to blurry eyes and a throbbing headache.</p><p>            “Ah, you’re finally awake,” Ralof said.</p><p>            He sat across from her, hands in his lap. The ground shuttered under her and she nearly fell over. Then she realized she was in a cart and it was moving. Faintly, she felt sick, but she held it back as she looked around.</p><p>            Ulfric sat next to her, arms in his lap and a thick gag around his mouth. That was interesting. Then she remembered something about how he’d killed the King, something about Shouting, but she didn’t really know what that meant.</p><p>            Ralof and another man sat on the other side of the cart, facing them. The man was dressed in farm clothes and had a dirty face with eyes that darted around wildly.</p><p>            “The empire ambushed us,” Ralof explained. “You got hit with a mace, I’d take it easy for a little while, if you can.”</p><p>            She blinked and lifted her hands to touch her head. Her arms were bound at the wrist, tightly. She wrinkled her nose, but touched her head in a few places. There was a crusty spot on her right temple, and when she touched it, white hot pain shot through her.</p><p>            “Ah, I think… I think I remember the hit.”</p><p>            “That’s good,” Ralof said in relief.</p><p>            “Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy.” The man sounded angry, and he glared between the three other passengers as if they were equally responsible for him being there with them. “If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell.” Then his eyes settled more closely on Felyndiira. “You there, you aren’t a Stormcloak. We shouldn’t be here, it’s them the empire wants,” he nodded to Ulfric and Ralof respectfully.</p><p>            “We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief,” Ralof said, his gaze locked on the other man.</p><p>            “Shut up back there,” the guard steering the cart growled over his shoulder.</p><p>            “And what’s wrong with him?” the horse thief asked, jerking his head at Ulfric.</p><p>            “Watch your tongue, you address Ulfric Stormcloak, the True High King,” Ralof snapped and turned to better face the other man. She hadn’t seen Ralof really look mad yet, and she was surprised at how stern it was. She’d be afraid if it were directed at him.</p><p>            “Ulfric?” The thief paled, his gaze locked straight at the gagged man who looked back lazily. “Jarl of Windhelm? But if they’ve captured you?” He looked like he was about to be sick. “Oh gods… where are they taking us?”</p><p>            Ralof straightened up in a way that looked as if he’d already asked these questions and had resigned himself to the answer. “I don’t know where we’re going, but Sovngarde awaits.”</p><p>            The man started to breathe quicker and quicker until he looked light in the head. “This can’t be happening… no, no, no. This isn’t happening….”</p><p>            “Great,” Felyndiira breathed and bowed her head as Ralof tried to calm to man. She’d escaped the falmer and was now on her way to gods knew where to be killed. What for? For being with Stormcloak rebels during a war. It wouldn’t matter that she wasn’t one of them, or that they were the first people she found when she escaped. They probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.</p><p>            Suddenly, she remembered Scars sword and noticed it was nowhere in sight.</p><p>            “What happened to my sword?” she asked Ralof.</p><p>            He looked away from the thief and then rolled his shoulders. “You were holding it when you got hit. It’s falmer make, they probably left it or scrapped it after picking up the battlefield.”</p><p>            “Damn,” she breathed out through her nose. It was the last thing she had from her time down there. A small part of her was happy it was lost, but the other part was disappointed. She had nothing but herself to show for the time she’d spent enslaved to those creatures. She had nothing to remind her of Scars and how she never wanted to be in that situation again.</p><p>            Ahead of them they could just hear a soldier say, “General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting.”</p><p>            Felyndiira stiffened and looked ahead to see a town’s walls come into view around the cliffside. A man in ornate armor astride a white horse trotted up a road coming to merge with their path. Other riders accompanied him; one of them was a high elf in dark robes and an air of condescension that Felyndiira could feel from here.</p><p>            “Good, let’s get this over with,” the man, General Tullius, said, sounding tired.</p><p>            Lokir, trembling violently. “Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, pl–please help me.”</p><p>            Ulfric rolled his eyes and spotted the crowd.</p><p>            Ralof nodded towards the Imperial: Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this,” he growled, then looked at Felyndiira as if realizing his audience. “No offense Felyn...”</p><p>            Felyndiira smirked without humor and nodded. “It’s fine.”</p><p>            The carts pulled into the town and Ralof commented on it being Helgen. She’d never heard of it, but that didn’t matter much. The carts came to a stop in the middle of town, she looked around to see imperials with lists coming up to file everyone in.</p><p>            The horse thief couldn’t help but ask the obvious. “Wh-Why are they stopping?”</p><p>            “Why do you think? End of the line.” Ralof replied grimly.</p><p>            “Shouldn’t keep the gods waiting,” Felyndiira said and stood when the others did.</p><p>            “No,” the thief shook his head, rocking in his seat. “Wait.” He stood up and looked between each of the guards. “I’m not a rebel! You can’t do this!”</p><p>            Ralof scoffed, “Face your death with some courage, thief.”</p><p>            But he kept shaking, his head whipping back and forth almost violently. “Tell them, tell them we weren’t with you! That I wasn’t with you! I’m not a Stormcloak! This is a mistake!”</p><p>            The Imperial Captain crossed her arms, looking over them. “When you hear your name, step up to the block, one at a time!”</p><p>            A young nord stood beside her, list in hand, and a reigned expression on his face. Felyndiira could tell her didn’t exactly want to be here either, which she could interesting.</p><p>            “Empire loves their damn lists,” Ralof snorted as he jumped down from the wagon.</p><p>            “Ulfric Stormcloak! Jarl of Windhelm” the young man began, writing on the list.</p><p>            “It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric” Ralof declared steadfastly. His blue eyes watching his leader in admiration.</p><p>            “Ralof of Riverwood!”</p><p>            The nord puffed out his chest and walked forward, openly glaring at the imperial soldiers as he passed.</p><p>            “Lokir of Rorikstead!”</p><p>            The horse thief barely let the man get out his name before crying out in protest. “No! I’m not a rebel! You, you can’t do this!” Lokir, hands still bound with rope, made a break for it.</p><p>            Felyndiira’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. He was running just like the slaves on their first day would. The only difference was the imperials didn’t act like he was allowed to go.</p><p>            “Halt!” the captain shouted.</p><p>            “You’re not going to kill me!” Lokir screeched as he made it by the soldiers and to the open road.</p><p>            “Archers!” the Captain said, but didn’t sound as if she was concerned.</p><p>            Lokir flopped to the ground when no less than nine arrows fired at once from different directions. Felyndiira stiffened slightly, remembering the way she’d seen slaves pinned to the ground by arrows like that. She swallowed hard and shook her head when the Captain asked if anyone else felt like running.</p><p>            Arrows weren’t always a fast death, and having her head taken off seemed a little quicker.</p><p>            The young nord in imperial garb looked at her then his list. He flipped through it. “You there, step forward.” Felyndiira came closer, but only just. “Who are you?”</p><p>            “Felyndiira Gah-Aka, of Solitude,” she answered.</p><p>            The young soldier almost seemed saddened. “How did you get so far from home, dark elf?” He looked back at his list, a puzzled look on his face, and then to his superior. “What should we do? She’s not on the list.”</p><p>            “Forget the list,” the woman barked, “she goes to the block.”</p><p>            “By your orders, Captain...” the soldier responded, his shoulders seeming to slump a little. “I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Solitude. Follow the Captain, prisoner”</p><p>            “Thank you,” Felyndiira said. She wasn’t sure if she wanted her body given to her parents. They, no doubt, already thought she was dead, but if she didn’t think her behead corpse delivered to them with word she was with Stormcloaks and killed for traitorous behavior against the Empire would make them feel better about her disappearance. Either way, though, at least they would be given something to bury, and she knew that meant something to them.</p><p>            She stepped up to the group waiting for their turn as the General finished talking to Ulfric –who could say nothing back thanks to the gag. As he said something about putting the Jarl down, an echoed sound floated on the wind, coming from the mountains. Everyone looked around curiously, and Felyndiira felt an odd shiver run down her spine at the sound.</p><p>            “What was that?” the nord that’d checked her in asked.</p><p>            But the General dismissed it. “It’s nothing. Carry on.”</p><p>            “Yes, sir,” the Captain said.</p><p>            A priest then tried to read them their last rites, but one of the Stormcloak soldiers growled and came forward. “Let’s get this over with, I haven’t got all morning,” he said and stepped up to the block.</p><p>            “Very well,” the priest said, lowering her hands.</p><p>            Felyndiira straightened up, offended at the gesture. “And what if I wanted my rites?” she whispered angrily. So eager to go to the block, to die for what he believed in, it made him a fool in her eyes, even as the other Stormcloaks looked at him with admiration.</p><p>            The captain pushed the already kneeling soldier to his knees at the block. As the headsman lifted his axe, the soldier got out his last words, “My ancestors are smiling at me, imperials, can you say the same?”</p><p>            And then his head was gone.</p><p>            “As fearless in death, as he was in life,” Ralof sighed.</p><p>            Felyndiira wrinkled her nose. She was afraid, but she wasn’t going to pretend not to be by rushing up to the block. This wasn’t a speech to be given in public, made quicker by getting it done early. This was their death, and while she appreciated people going out on their own terms, rushing the rest of their deaths along didn’t make her happy.</p><p>             “Next, the dark elf!” the Captain said.</p><p>            The sound rang out again, louder than before –closer. Felyndiira stiffened, looking up at the sky, trying to find the source of the noise. For a moment, she wondered if it was magically thunder, or maybe it was a god speaking to them.</p><p>            “There it is again,” the nord soldier said, looking to his captain. “Did you hear it?”</p><p>            “I said, ‘next prisoner’!” she growled at him, as if he were being distracted by something that shouldn’t concern him.</p><p>            The young man nodded. “To the block, Felyndiira of Solitude, nice and easy.”</p><p>            Felyndiira took in a long breath, looking up at the sky hesitantly. She walked to the block, thinking about everything that led up to this moment, was there anything she could have done differently? Of course she could still be down in Blackreach, but which was better? To be alive and a slave? Or to die after only just achieving freedom?</p><p>            She was pulled down by a strong hand on her shoulder. Apparently, she was being too slow in her actions to join the severed head that still lay there in the basket. A boot pressed into her back, forcing her down. The block was still wet from the Stormcloak’s blood. She turned her head to look at the sky, smearing her cheek with blood.</p><p>            Felyndiira wanted to see the bright sky as she died. She wanted to see the clouds and the trees swaying in the wind. The executioner and the tower behind him took up most of her view, but she looked at the open sky and took a deep breath. At least she died up here, and because of events out of her control. She decided this was better than being alive in Blackreach. She could relax now, and soon it would all be over.</p><p>            Just as her eyes fluttered closed, she saw something, a dot, fly across the sky, near the mountain tops.</p><p>            She could hear Tullius call out, “What in oblivion is that!”</p><p>            The Captain answered with a shout to the sentries, asking them what they could see.</p><p>            “It’s in the clouds!”</p><p>            The executioner, seeming completely unconcerned, brought up his weapon. But now Felyndiira stared up at the form. It grew larger and larger until it landed hard on the tower, crumbling some of the stones, breaking the mortar, and with the force, sent the Headsman toppling over. Felyndiira stared up at the black thing and realized it was a giant lizard, a dragon. A massive black dragon.</p><p>            She was stunned, until it opened its mouth and a powerful force hit her so hard she was thrown off the block and onto the ground. Her vision blurred and she thought she might have hit her head again.</p><p>            Muffled shouting was all she heard over the ringing in her ears. A set of hands pulled her to her feet. She looked to see Ralof trying to pull her away from the block, joining in the commotions of yelling and screaming taking place. “...Felyn! Come on! The Gods... nother chance.... This way!” Her feet were moving now but she could hardly concentrate on anything around her. Fire. Screaming. Dying. Her pounding head.</p><p>            Ralof led her to a tower nearby that was still standing and shut the door. Ulfric and the other Stormcloaks were already inside, some trying patch up injuries while others bled out. “Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?” Ralof looked to his leader expectantly.</p><p>            “Legends don’t burn down villages. We need to move, now!”</p><p>            Ralof reacted instantly. “Up through the tower! Let’s move! This way, Felyn!”</p><p>            Felyndiira blinked and pushed forward, trying to clear her head. “I need a moment,” she breathed and reached up to try to touch her temple, only to remember her hands were bound together. When had the Stormcloaks all been freed? “My head...”</p><p>            Someone pushed her forward. “Move or stay, little elf,” Ulfric’s deep voice came from behind her left ear. “But don’t slow us down.”</p><p>            Felyndiira sucked in a breath and forced herself to run forward, climbing the steps ahead of the others. She stumbled, grabbed the wall for support, and then realized it wasn’t her shaking, but the whole tower. The wall burst inward and then fire blasted, burning the Stormcloaks that were ahead of her, knocked down by the wall caving in.</p><p>            She cried out in shock and flinched away, looking back at Ralof. But the fire stopped and he pushed her onward.</p><p>            “We have to keep going, go through there, jump to the next building,” Ralof pointed and she swayed, staring down at the collapsed roof that was just a leap and fall away.</p><p>            “I don’t think I...” she whispered as she swayed again. Ralof steadied her.</p><p>            “We’ll be right behind you.”</p><p>            Felyndiira threw herself forward and tried to keep herself upright so she could make it and land on her feet. She landed hard and then rolled onto her side. She tumbled and fell right down onto the first level. She crawled out of the building as fire rained down on it. The Stormcloaks did not follow her.</p><p>            She looked up as some new hands grabbed her by the arm. It was the nord with the imperial list.</p><p>            “Still alive? You should keep close to me if you want to stay that way. Gunnar, take the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense.” He gently pushed a child trying to cling to him. The two nords exchanged courtesies before his comrade lead the boy away. The soldier looked her way again, “Stay close to the wall,” he urged as he pulled her forward.</p><p>            Felyndiira stuck close to him as the dragon swooped down and landed hard on the nearby wall, spraying fire as it screamed. She covered her ears and turned toward the soldier to cover her face from the heat and light.</p><p>            He took her upper arm and pulled her along with him, stepping over bodies and climbed through the fallen buildings. “Look at this destruction! Is there no end?” He pulled her close suddenly, out of the way as the dragon dropped low and its feet wrapped around a guard that didn’t get out of the way fast enough. They disappeared in a flash of black and Felyndiira blinked several times. “We have to get moving,” the soldier pushed her on.</p><p>            She followed him, through the now scorched village, into homes that might have once been filled by families or entertained crowds in their halls. They finally came to a clearing with Imperial archers shooting desperately at a beast that Felyndiira knew at this point would show no mercy towards man, woman, nor child.</p><p>            “Hadvar! Into the keep, soldier! We’re leaving!” General Tullius’ voice called out above the noise of destruction and dying.</p><p>            “It’s you and me, prisoner, stay close!” Hadvar urged as they made their way through a stone archway that led to the supposed keep. Shouts and curses for the dragon’s demise still rang out as they approached the keep with men near. But these men did not wear imperial red.</p><p>            Felyndiira stopped, looking between the imperial she stood beside and the Stormcloak soldiers that were making for the keep. Ralof was among them, he looked at her with an expectant tilt of the head.</p><p>            “Ralof! You damned traitor, out of our way!” Hadvar snarled at the blonde nord.</p><p>            “We’re escaping, Hadvar! And you’re not fuckin’ stopping us this time!” Ralof snapped back.</p><p>            “I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngardt!” the Imperial soldier damned him. They both almost reminded Felyndiira of two quarreling brothers with how familiar they were with one another.</p><p>            “Felyn, come on! To the Keep!” Ralof called over after waving Hadvar’s insult off.</p><p>            “She’s with me! Come on, we need to get inside!” Hadvar shot back at him angrily before turning his attention to her.</p><p>            She didn’t move for a moment, didn’t breathe. It was like they wanted her to take sides in the rebellion. But all she could think about was getting out alive, and that meant following Hadvar, the imperial, who would be able to help her once they got out more than a rebel could. At least she hoped.</p><p>            Felyndiira shook her head at Ralof and stepped closer to Hadvar as the dragon soared over, pouring fire down on them like rain. The Stormcloak looked betrayed for a moment, and then his expression hardened, like he felt he should have expected it.</p><p>            It only made it easier to go with Hadvar. The Stormcloak saw her as an elf first, and he couldn’t trust an elf. She couldn’t be around people like that, not when her life relied on it. If she had to pick a side, it was the Imperial side.</p><p>            Hadvar guided her into the keep, where he cut her binds and helped her escape the burning, collapsing building.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Riverwood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira makes it to civilization, and isn't on the chopping block.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Crisp, fresh air engulfed Felyndiira’s lungs when she and Hadvar stumbled out of the cave. The light of the sun pierced her now sensitive and squinting eyes. Hadvar moved ahead of her and she rushed to keep up, until a familiar noise came within earshot.</p><p>            “Wait!” she urged, pulling him back behind a boulder with her full weight. Why did nords have to be so big? He crouched, confused until the large, dark shadow of the dragon appeared on the ground as it flew overhead. In that moment, they froze like statues, watching, marveling at the terribly magnificent beast.</p><p>            “Looks like he's gone for good this time. But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back,” Hadvar admitted, swallowing hard.</p><p>            “So, what now? Where do we go from here?” Felyndiira asked, looking at him questioningly.</p><p>            Hadvar straightened up and looked north. “I’m from Riverwood, it’s not far from here. My uncle owns the blacksmith there, he can help us out.”</p><p>            “You’re... not going to arrest me?”</p><p>            “You weren’t dressed like one of the Stormcloaks,” he commented, looking over her again. While in the keep, she’d changed into some light Imperial gear. She was also now armed with an axe, and a spellbook she planned on studying. She wanted to be able to defend herself the next time she was weaponless. “But why were you with them?”</p><p>            “I... escaped from the falmer recently, the Stormcloaks were... helping me,” she explained, folding her arms.</p><p>            “Stormcloaks? Helping out a dark elf?” He looked at her doubtfully. “And what did they want in return? You can’t expect me to believe they offered their aid to you, an outsider to them, for free.”</p><p>            She narrowed her eyes at him briefly and then shrugged. “I gave them what I had, the things I’d gotten while I was down there. I had... some gold and things. I gave them to Ulfric and he gave me clothes and a place to sleep. I was leaving when you’re men attacked.”</p><p>            Hadvar’s brows turned up, an apologetic look came across his face, “I see.... Look, I’m sorry that we put you through that. We've been trying to catch Ulfric since the war started, but he always seemed to slip through our fingers –like he knew we were coming. This time, General Tullius turned the tables on him. Ulfric had no idea we were watching his camp. And it looks like you unwittingly got caught up in it. I thought we were taking Ulfric and his lot back to Cyrodiil, but I guess the General changed his mind. You know the rest.” He looked up towards some ruins and mentioned a story in his childhood about being afraid draugr possibly coming down to hurt the people of Riverwood. Felyndiira wasn’t sure if this was supposed to distract from the awkward silence or his attempt at self-deprecating joke to lighten the mood... or both.</p><p>            “Draugr aren’t the worst things out there,” she decided, thinking back. “They’ll just kill you, right?” She glanced at him as they passed some standing stones.</p><p>            The Nord chuckled at that, “I suppose you’re right about that. There are worse things than death.” He stopped when he realized what exactly they were passing. “Oh! These are the guardian stones! I'm not sure what stones are near Solitude, but I've heard people say they gain luck when touching these stones.” He nodded to the statues. "Maybe you could use a bit of luck. There are three types, each one helps a little differently, if you believe in that sort of thing." He chuckled like he didn't. </p><p>            Felyn smirked. She thought she’d heard of them, but she didn’t know much about them. She walked up to them, noticed the three each had a different carving. One was a thief, one a mage, and the last was a warrior. She thought about it for a moment and then drifted over to the thief. Sneaking around, being hidden from sight and living in shadow appealed to her now more than it ever had in her life. She touched it and saw the constellation within it glow faintly.</p><p>            Hadvar made an interested sound. “Thief, eh? Well it's never too late to take charge of your own fate. Come on, we’re almost to Riverwood.”</p><p>            “It’s not what you think,” is all she said as she followed him down the road to Riverwood. It was a small thing with walls that were practically decorative at the point of disrepair they were. “You and Rolaf were from here?”</p><p>            Hadvar frowned at the mention of the other Nord’s name. “Yeah, I suppose that makes things a little awkward around here from time to time. Ralof’s sister, Gerdur runs the mill here. I find it easier to just think of this place as neutral territory to avoid complications, even though it clearly belongs to the Empire. Family is family no matter the sides.” The Nord looked over to a house on the left and smiled at a man smithing some materials. “Thank the gods that the place looks quiet here. And there’s my uncle Alvor! Hello!” He greeted loudly, waving. “Come on,” Hadvar invited.</p><p>            Felyndiira followed as an old woman shouted about a Dragon. Her son, or whoever he was to her, didn’t believe her, but Felyndiira just shook her head and followed behind Hadvar. He led her into his uncle’s house, who was skeptical at seeing them, but quickly warmed and promised them they could stay as long as they needed and even gave her a knapsack to help hold the things she'd picked in while escaping, and some supplies, like food, a waterskin, and some odds and ends he thought she could sell or trade at her leisure. Felyndiira thanked Alvor and his wide, but shook her head when asked to stay.</p><p>            “I need to leave, I have to go home and tell my family I’m alive.”</p><p>            Alvor frowned. “Someone needs to tell the Jarl what’s happened, that Riverwood needs help. You could tell him on your way if you’re taking a cart from Whiterun to Solitude...."</p><p>            Felyndiira nodded. It shouldn't much of a delay, she had to repay him somehow. “I could do that, since you’ve been so kind.” She glanced at the bag full of things. It reminded her of what Scars gave her and she wondered how long she would have it before having to give it up for something else.</p><p>            “I’ll head out in the morning. Is there an inn? I’d hate to crowd your home.” She frowned at the small building, there were too many people to try to stay here comfortably.</p><p>            “Well, I suppose if you wanted a room to yourself, there’s the Sleeping Giant Inn for the one or two travelers who pass through,” Sigrid, Alvor’s wife, mentioned. “It’s about ten septims a night if I remember right. It’s just right up the road, can’t miss it. Why don’t you show her the way, Hadvar?" Hadvar looked up from his bread and stew he had shoveled in his mouth. Sigrid gave a sly smirk when he narrowed his eyes at her. “It’s the least you could do besides offering her a position in the Legion that tried to execute her,” she commented.</p><p>            Hadvar swallowed his food and got up. “I suppose you’re right...”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m sure I can find it, Riverwood doesn’t look too big.”</p><p>            “Here, at least let me cover the night.” Hadvar took some coins from a pouch on his belt and handed them to her. “Good luck to you, Diira, I hope to see you in Solitude.”</p><p>            “Maybe you can swing by my family’s farm sometime, my alma, my ma, makes the best ash yams in Skyrim.” Felyndiira thanked them again and left. When she stepped outside, the sun was lower and she took in a long, slow breath. She was alone for the first time since getting out. She didn’t mind it, in fact, it brought a smile to her lips. She walked up the street, taking her time getting to the Inn, and entered only after the sun finished sinking behind the mountains. </p><p>            She went inside and got a room from the innkeeper –a stern looking woman with blonde hair tied back. Then she ordered some food from the man at the counter and took a seat across from the door so she could see everyone in the room and had her back to the wall.</p><p>            The inn was pleasant and almost homey. Soft music played from a blonde Nord bard while she ate and listened to people gossip. The woman who rented her room was was nagging at Orgnar about stale ale and whether or not he was actually listening or if his ears were stuffed with potatoes.</p><p>            Others gossiped about a recent break in at the Trader’s place, and the rumor that a dragon had flown right over town.</p><p>            “Well, my beautiful ebon maiden, do you have any requests for this fair bard this day?” the bard, Sven she thought his name called, asked.</p><p>            Felyndiira lifted a brow at him as she finished her meal and shrugged. “I haven’t the coin to spare on pretty words, sorry.”</p><p>            “For a beautiful, newcomer, first one is on the house.” He grinned at her handsomely. “I believe that a maiden should be reminded that she’s beautiful everyday. Have you been reminded yet?”</p><p>            Felyndiira laughed, shaking her head. “Oh no, that’s never been used to describe me.” She looked up at him and then snorted. “Well, my mom said so, but who believes their mom?” </p><p>           Felyndiira was a dark elf, and elves weren't always thought of as beautiful by the people of Skyrim. She'd grown up here, and had spent most of her childhood running with the kids that left Soltiude's protective walls, and despite spending time with them, they weren't always friendly to her. They would remind her of how odd she looked with her giant purple eyes and her hard brow line, her long, pointy ears and when she started to grow slower than the rest, how short she was, or how lanky she was. She was perfectly normal looking now, if she compared herself to other dark elves, she had sharp features, her nose and brows complimented each other, flowing nicely into one another, while her lips were full and placed centrally under her nose. Her ears were of normal length and didn't stick out awkwardly or hold too close to her head. Her eyes weren't massive doe's eyes anymore, but were wide and rounded with lashes. She let her black hair grow long and normally pulled it over her shoulder, but it pretty much flowed wherever it wanted in gentle waves. She wasn't a tall thing, but she wasn't overly short either, she was average for her people, but, of course, shorter than nords or imperials. </p><p>            Sven chuckled at her. “Well then, allow me the honor of reminding you today, how beautiful you are.” He began strumming his lute slowly, sensually, and closed his eyes when he sang his song.</p><p>            She smiled and let the barkeeper come and get her empty plate while she listened to the bard. She hadn't heard this song, so it had to be original. It was about a sweet, purple mountain flower that sat alone on a snowy hillside. The bard described how he would climb through blizzards and fight sabre cats to get to this mountain flower, and he would bring it home, to his humble abode, and nourish it away from the dangerous outside.</p><p>            Felyndiira started thinking about what she had wanted to find when she came down to Whiterun with that caravan. Happiness, a life she could live, but not one alone. She had wanted to come to Whiterun to sell her goods, but also to see, if she moved there, would she be able to start her own life? One where she could live comfortable, start a family, and grow old?</p><p>            The way the bard looked at her while he sang made her forget the year she spent in Blackreach, and how she escaped. It made her thing of a warm home, and a loving man holding her at night. It made her wonder if her man would sing to her, like Sven was now. She wasn't sure Sven was <em>the one </em>but she smiled at him when he met her gaze.</p><p>            Sven finished his song and bowed deeply. Others clapped while a bearded drunk man congratulated him on his best song yet. “You might just get under Camilla’s skirt with that one!” the drunk said, loudly as he clapped an arm around Sven's shoulders.</p><p>            The boy blushed and gave the man an angry look, his eyes darting quickly to Felyndiira. She didn't look at him.</p><p>            “Oh please! If you think this big oaf can win Camilla’s heart with pretty words alone, you’re even denser than he is, Embry,” a wood elf remarked pointedly. He was an older fellow, his hair gone white with the line receding, but he looked kind in the face –despite glaring between the drunk and the bard. </p><p>            “I didn’t say anything about her heart, ya pointy ear asshole,” Embry retorted.</p><p>            Felyndiira stiffened and immediately stood up. She suddenly felt like it was time for bed. She didn’t look at Sven as she made a beeline for her room with a huff.</p><p>            “Nice work, the both you! You just have to ruin everything...” the bard’s voice could be heard through the hall.</p><p>            “Quiet down, we’ve actually got guests in this inn tonight. Sven, take a break would you?” Delphine ordered.</p><p>            Felyndiira went from being a slave to a notch in a belt and she couldn’t help but shake her head. She closed the door to her room and dropped her things into her chest, locking it with the bedroom key she’d been given. She just wanted to get to Whiterun, tell the Jarl about the dragon, and then go home.</p><p>            Felyndiira lied down and went to sleep, hoping for a restful night.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Whiterun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to talk to the Jarl!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Felyndiira woke up and didn’t know where she was. She startled and jerked around, panicking before settling down in the soft bed, realizing she was safe, locked in the inn bedroom she’d paid for. She got up and collected her things, looking around like she was waiting for someone to tell her what to do, or where to go.</p><p>            But no one was there.</p><p>            She walked out into the inn and then outside where she saw it was early noon, the sun high in the sky. She smiled up at the sight of the ruins across the river and up the mountain that Hadvar had pointed out and talked about contained draugr. She smirked and then shook her head. Her adventuring life was over, she was free and she could go home now.</p><p>            Well, after she talked to the Jarl.</p><p>            Her journey north to Whiterun ended up being uneventful. Crossing bridges, and walking up and down hilled roads with beautiful scenery.</p><p>            Felyndiira was within sight of the city of Whiterun when the ground began to shake. She looked around, startled at first. And then she heard the distinct <em>thuds</em> of something coming closer. She turned as something massive tore through the nearby trees blocking the view of some farms between her and the city.</p><p>            A giant, massive and pale in the light, ran from something, sprinting right for her, brandishing its club.</p><p>            Felyndiira grabbed her axe and dodged out of the giant’s way just as it swung and barely managed to slash her blade across the beast’s bloodied thigh. As it cried and went to the ground, she realized it had many other cuts and arrows sticking out of it.</p><p>            Without hesitating, Felyndiira ran over and brought her axe down on its neck, over and over, trying to sever it before the monster could get back on its feet. There were giants in Blackreach, and every once in a while they would attack the slaves or falmer. She’d seen the falmer take down the beasts in this fashion, get them on the ground and then take the head off, so it was the only way she really knew how to stop them. It didn’t occur to her that it would leave her splashed with blood and her hands and axe slick with it.</p><p>            “Looks as though she got the final blow before us!” a female voice exclaimed. Felyndiira whipped her head towards it origin, breathing hard from her grisly efforts. A nord woman with auburn hair and blue face paint was running towards her, bow in hand. Two others were trailing behind her.</p><p>            “Sorry, was he yours?” she asked, looking at them in surprise and embarrassment. “Just... trying to keep from being stepped on.”</p><p>            “Seems like you solved that problem,” a smiling imperial woman came up beside the female warrior. She was dressed mostly in hides and furs. Her companion nodded in agreement.</p><p>            “You can handle yourself well with that axe. What do you think, Farkas? Think she’d make a good shield-sister?” The nord woman turned her gaze to a towering nord man sheathing a blade nearly as tall as Felyndiira on his back. He half-heartedly kicked the lifeless corpse of the giant. A shoulder shrug and a grunt was his only reply.</p><p>            “Shield-sister? Really? Like... one of the Companions?” Felyndiira had heard of them, but never thought they would remotely consider her for their ranks.</p><p>            The auburn woman gave Felyndiira a smirk. “Well, it’s not for me to say. But if I were you, I’d talk to Kodlak Whitemane up in Jorrvaskr. The old man's got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you do go to him, good luck. You’ve got my pass.”</p><p>            The imperial woman gave her a smiling nod. “We’ll let you go on your way now. Thanks for lending an axe of support.”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled at them, and looked the man over, curious about the wolffish armor he wore, and then nodded. She wished she could have gotten some things off the giant, they always had things of worth on them, she’d had to loot the ones the falmer killed in Blackreach.</p><p>            “Maybe I’ll see you around,” she said and started walking away. The idea of joining the Companions was like a dream, it was more interesting than it was practical, she didn’t know enough about fighting to actually join a guild that was focused on combat.</p><p>            She traveled the path past the farms and stables, a horse already drawn to a carriage. Hadvar was right, she’d be able to go to Solitude from here. She was in the last stretch of her mission, then she would be able to see her family again after so long.</p><p>            When the gates were in sight, the guards saw her and one closed the distance.</p><p>            “Halt.” He raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks. “City's closed with dragons about. Official business only.”</p><p>            Her heart sank. “But I have to speak to the Jarl. Riverwood is requesting aid,” she said, and then added, “<em>because</em> of the dragons.”</p><p>            The guard stiffened at that. “Riverwood's in danger, too?” He turned his helmeted head to his comrade, who nodded and shrugged, like they’d forgotten about the village. He faced her again, “You better go on in,” he stated before walking back to his position. “You'll find the Jarl at Dragonsreach, atop the hill.”</p><p>            “Thank you,” she bowed her head to them and walked passed, headed in. Whiterun was bright, full of light colors, much different from the towering, dark stone buildings of Solitude. She made her way up the streets and reached the keep at the top of the city. The guards just looked her over as she walked by, going to the massive doors. She pushed them open and gazed around as she approached the throne.</p><p>            A great fire pit illuminated the white and golden bannered hall more than the candled chandelier. Long wooden tables were set with silverware and plates running the length of the hall’s upper level, leading right to the Jarl’s throne where a nord sat talking urgently with a dark elf and an imperial.</p><p>            “We cannot afford to act rashly in times like these,” the balding imperial was explaining.</p><p>            Jarl Bulgruuf, she guess was the one on the throne, and he looked tired. “What would you have me do, then? Nothing?” His blonde brows came together in a stern look.</p><p>            “My lord, please.” The imperial raised both hands in a defensive manner. His balding head, shone with sweat. “This is no time for rash action. I just think we–” he was interrupted by the sound a sword unsheathing. The dark elf clad in armor approached Felyndiira with her weapon ready.</p><p>            “That’s far enough! What’s the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving any visitors.”</p><p>            “I only came to inform the Jarl of Riverwood’s request for aid.” Felyndiira raised her arms and held her breath, hoping the other dark elf would relax a little. Felyndiira was armed, but she didn’t think she looked all that threatening. Well... she did have that giant’s blood on her hands and weapon....</p><p>            “As housecarl, my job is to deal with all that endangers the Jarl or his people. So, you have my attention.” The woman sheathed her sword, seeming to decide that Felyndiira was not an immediate threat. “Now, explain yourself.”</p><p>            “It's all right, Irileth,” the Jarl stated. “I want to hear what she has to say.” He gestured for her to come forward. “Now, what’s this about Riverwood needing aid?”</p><p>            “I was at Helgen when the dragon attacked. There was a General Tullius? And he had captured Ulfric Stormcloak,” she explained. “They were going to execute him, but a dragon attacked.” She decided not to mention the fact she’d been a prisoner about to be executed. “Last it was seen, it was coming this way.”</p><p>            “I should have guessed Ulfric would be mixed up in this...” the Jarl seemed to ponder for a moment before the present caught up with him. “So, you were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?” She nodded and the nord shot up from his throne, his hands clenched into fists. He looked at his advisor. “What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?” he questioned accusingly. The imperial man balked, taking a step back.</p><p>            The dark elf stepped in now. “My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains...”</p><p>            “The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric’s–” Proventus blurted with wide eyes.</p><p>            “Enough!” the Jarl bellowed with enough force to shock Felyndiira stiff. “I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!” Both of his advisors went deathly quiet. “Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once.”</p><p>            “Yes, my Jarl,” the dark elf warrior answered, giving a dutiful bow as she left. Proventus excused himself as well, leaving Felyndiira with the nord ruler.</p><p>            “Well done,” he finally said to her after a few seconds. “You sought me out and have done Whiterun a great service. I won't forget that.” He snapped a finger and a servant came running up, he said something to her, and she scurried off, only to return in a moment with a leather cuirass. “Here, take this as a small token of my esteem.”</p><p>            Felyndiira’s eyes bugged wide. The leather was of fine make and would only take minor tailoring to fit her perfectly. “Thank you, my Jarl.” She almost felt tears of joy come to her eyes. She could sell the imperial armor she wore for something more... neutral, and that should give her enough gold to fill out the rest of the outfit, normally the chest pieces were the most expensive.</p><p>            Jarl Balgruuf smiled, “Of course, you deserve at least that much for your deed. There is another matter I would discuss with you, but I’m sure you’re famished from your journey and in need of food and drink. Come, take a seat.”</p><p>            His kindness shocked her but she wouldn’t object to a meal with the Jarl of Whiterun. “Yes, I’d be grateful,” she said and followed him to one of the long tables. There were piles of food and glasses next to bottles of different wines and mead. She shook her head in disbelief. Was this really happening?</p><p>            “Forgive my rudeness. I have not even asked your name yet,” the nord sat down with her. Attendants came to them but he waved them away, choosing to pour his own mead and offering her some as well.</p><p>            “My name is Felyndiira, I’m from Solitude,” she introduced herself and graciously took some food, sparingly. She didn’t want to seem greedy for his kindness.</p><p>            “The capital?” His blonde eyebrows shot up while stroking his beard. “You’re quite a long ways away then. What’s brought you all the way over here? Well, aside from dragons...” he asked before taking a bite of his pheasant.</p><p>            Felyndiira waited until she’s finished chewing to answer. “My family farms near the marshes. I actually joined a caravan to bring goods here to Whiterun in hopes of getting better profits. It was attacked and... long story short I ended up in Helgen when the dragon attack happened,” she summed it up and hummed thoughtfully at the food. “I haven’t had food this good in ages, thank you so much.”</p><p>            “Is that your specialty? Farming? How I see it, you’ve got a few other talents judging by your recently used axe.” His gaze landed on the bloodied weapon.</p><p>            “Farming wasn’t exactly my talent, sir. My parents were good at it. I was better at selling it,” she said with a light laugh. “Not good enough though, since I had to try my hand somewhere else...”</p><p>            “Well, there’s no shortage of land here. Plenty of it to farm and no shortage of people wanting food, as you can see.” He gestured to the table. “The majority of us in this city are nords and I’ll let you in on a little secret,” he paused dramatically, a smirk on his lips. “We nords love to eat.” He laughed. “You could always try your luck at living over in here in the plains.”</p><p>            She smiled at his kindness. She had never thought of a nord speaking to her this way. “Thank you so much, that means a lot.” She was finished eating and wet her lips. “If there’s anything I can do to repay your kindness, you only have to ask.”</p><p>            “There is... something you could do for me. Suitable for someone with your experience, perhaps.” He looked at her now, blue orbs boring into hers. “Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and...rumors of dragons.”</p><p>            Her heart heaved but she nodded and stood, following him as servants came and cleaned up after them. She’s never had anyone but her mom clean up after her before. They entered a side room to the main hall of the Jarl’s keep, the only person occupying it was a man in robes. His hood hid most of his face but Felyndiira could see his thick muttonchops.</p><p>            “Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project. This is Felyndiira. She has some experience with dragons and has informed us of one in our hold. I’ll have you to fill her in with all the details.” The Jarl explained to the wizard, who only cast a skeptical look her way.</p><p>            Once Balgruuf was gone, the wizard spoke. “So the Jarl thinks you can help me with my research into the dragons?” Farengar questioned with crossed arms. She wondered if he was looking down his nose at her for more reason than just being taller.</p><p>            Felyndiira hesitated. “I guess so, what do you need from me?” she asked, looking at him with a wince prepared. She hoped it was something in town, something quick she could do before heading home. She wasn’t sure where the Jarl got the idea she was able to help, but it couldn’t be too hard if he thought she –a woman with little more than farm experience– could manage it, could it?</p><p>            “I need someone to fetch something for me,” he stated matter-of-factly. She relaxed just a little, fetching was simple enough. “Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there.”</p><p>            And there was the catch she should have expected.</p><p>            “You... don’t even know if what you’re looking for is <em>in</em> this ruin? And you want to send <em>me</em> to do this?” She stared at him with wide eyes, unable to believe him.</p><p>            Farengar frowned at her with knitted brow. “Make no mistake, I don’t have much confidence in you either. The Jarl, however, seems to think highly enough of you to be considered competent for the job.” The <em>Jarl </em>hardly knew her, and she was starting to think he didn’t really know what the wizard really needed help with either.</p><p>            Farengar’s candor stung, though, but she nodded despite herself. “Well then. I guess where am I going and what am I fetching?”</p><p>            The wizard nodded as if they were going back in the direction “I learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow, a Dragonstone. It’s said to contain a map of dragon burial sites. I need you to go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet, which is no doubt interred in the main chamber, and bring it to me. Simplicity itself.”</p><p>            “You said something about dangerous?” She wasn’t sure where Bleak Falls Barrow was, but a small part of her wondered if it was the same ruin Hadvar had talked about near Riverwood.</p><p>            “It’s an old tomb, built by the ancient nords, perhaps dating back to the Dragon War itself. A place like that, one could possibly expect a few bandits, and draugr more than likely.” The wizard explained, eyes lighting up at the possibilities. “Are you familiar with the area around it? It's near Riverwood, a quaint village a few miles south of here. I'm sure some of the locals can point you in the right direction once you get there.”</p><p>            “Oh, yes, I know Riverwood. Is this something I have to do alone? If there’s trouble, I might need back up...” Felyndiira looked at him with mild expectation. Surely a court wizard would be able to go with his adventurer to retrieve his ‘possible’ item. She wasn’t sure where else she would find someone to help her.</p><p>            Farengar seemed to catch her meaning and responded with a sad smile. “Unfortunately, my work affords me few opportunities for such an adventure. If you have a companion who you’d like to join in your efforts, then all the favorable your odds are at getting in and out with the tablet.” He shrugged, obviously indifferent on if she would return. He was just being honest, he didn’t know if she was capable of doing this, and neither did she. So, she tried not to take it personally.</p><p>            Felyndiira tried to think of someone that would be able to help her. She really only knew Hadvar, but she doubted he would be up for this if he wasn’t willing to come to Whiterun of his own accord. She really didn’t feel she should ask him either.</p><p>            Then her mind jumped to the Companions. Maybe she could pay one of them to help her? They were up for hire, that’s where they got their reputation. They took care of troublesome animals, retrieved missing items, saved kidnapped people, and even would settle disputes if hired to do so.She wasn’t sure how much a job would cost, especially since she knew it was going to take a few days, the trip to Riverwood was only a few hours, but up the mountain would take more.</p><p>            “Okay, I guess I’ll be back with the stone, if it’s there.” Then she cleared her throat, “And if I can’t find it... do I come back here still?”</p><p>Farengar nodded. “There will be a reward for your efforts either way. If it’s not there then I’ll simply cross that off my list. Are there any other questions you may have before you go?”</p><p>            “No, I think I’m good, thanks.” She bowed and backed up. “I’ll be off then.”</p><p>            She left and looked up toward the Jarl’s Throne, but he wasn’t there. Felyndiira took a deep breath and walked down the stairs, headed for the doors. Now to find Jorrvaskr.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Jorrvaskr</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira finds help in Jorrvaskr, but it's not exactly what she was hoping for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Jorrvaskr wasn’t hard to locate once she got out to the massive dying tree.</p><p>            There was a mead hall that looked to be built out of a ship that was turned over. She went up to the doors and opened one, peeking inside curiously before stepping in.</p><p>            The lighting was dim but the dark elf found herself inside a generous sized mead hall. Food and drink littered the long tables surrounding a fire pit. She found the people dwelling inside crowding together to get a better look at something. There were obvious sounds of fighting, fists hitting flesh and armor, but she couldn’t see anything from the doorway.</p><p>            “Are those two at it again?” an older man clad in heavy armor called over before casually walking over and looking at the scene. “Strike when the shoulder turns. He's giving you openings!”</p><p>            “This should be good.” Another warrior sat up. She recognized him as Farkas, the Nord from earlier that day. He took a last gulp of his drink before rushing over. Shouts and curses rung out through the hall as the crowd gathered to see a fight of some kind.</p><p>            Felyndiira took the moment of invisibility to walk over to the crowd. She was able to look down at the fight, over the heads of those circling it. A dark elf man and a human female were fighting, fist to fist in only the way fighters could.</p><p>            The woman seemed to be winning the fight.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked around, wondering who to speak to, but figured she should wait until the end of the fight to say anything since everyone was watching it like a coronation.</p><p>            “I haven’t seen your face around here, dear. Have you come here looking for someone or to watch a fight?” a withered elderly woman asked Felyndiira with a broom in her hand. The servant’s sudden appearance did startle her, but she smiled kindly at the old woman.</p><p>            A sickly smack was heard followed by a resounding, “Ooh!” from the crowd. The dark elf went down with a thud.</p><p>Felyndiira stiffened, eyes on the group. The dark elf male popped back up, smiling and bleeding, then shook arms with the woman that laid him out. Felyndiira nodded to her self, she definitely wanted one of them to come with her.</p><p>            “I was actually looking to hire someone for a job. I need help retrieving something from a ruin.”</p><p>            “Oh? Well, I would speak to Kodlak Whitemane if I were you. He would most likely know who would be best suited for you of this bunch.” The woman chuckled as she gestured to rowdy band of fighters that were now dispersing, clapping both the winner and the loser on their shoulders. “You’ll find him down those set of stairs”</p><p>            “Thank you,” Felyndiira smiled and went to where she was indicated. At the opposite end of the mead hall was a set of stairs that led into a basement. She went down cautiously and then wondered where to go when she got to the bottom. There was a long hallway with several arched doorways. She wandered down that way until she heard two people speaking and she froze.</p><p>            “But I still hear the call of the blood,” she heard a man say as if he were in pain.</p><p>            “We all do. It is our burden to bear. But we can overcome,” another explained somewhat encouragingly. The second voice seemed older, more haggard.</p><p>            “You have my brother and I, obviously. But I don't know if the rest will go along quite so easily,” the first voice elaborated doubtfully.</p><p>            “Leave that to me,” the second said.</p><p>            “But–”</p><p>            “I have spoken. Now, I heard a scuffle upstairs. Let us go see the latest victor.” Furniture could be heard moving, then silence.</p><p>            Felyndiira took a step forward, wondering where they’d gone, when two large nords came into view, their steps absolutely silent. She couldn’t believe her own audacity. She looked around and then at the men when they stopped in sight of her. She was surprised to see neither looked shocked at her presence, like they’d know she was there somehow.</p><p>            “Um, I’m sorry, I’m looking for Kodlak? I was told he was the one to talk to about work with the Companions?</p><p>            “Looking to join the Companions are you now?” the older man asked, a smile coming to his lips His hair was near perfect white with hints of silver here and there. He shared the same silvery eyes as the young man next to him. And while they were both tall, the younger one stood a few inches taller, his hard gaze settling on Felyndiira with a hint of a glare.</p><p>            “When we opened up for recruits, I didn’t expect just anyone to try to join,” the young man said before Felyndiira could correct him.</p><p>            “Don’t be rude, boy,” Kodlak, she now presumed, frowned at the warrior. She noticed they both wore the same armor, steel with a wolf’s head signet on the chest, like Farkas. The elder turned to Felyndiira again. “Why have you sought me out, young one?”</p><p>            “Well, I actually need help. I don’t have a lot of gold,” she started, wanting to get that out in the air, but she saw how the young man’s expression darkened, “but I need to do a job that will be very rewarding.” He’d have been handsome if he hadn’t been so rude. Kodlak just listened to her, his expression indifferent, but his silvery eyes watched her like a hound would. That was an odd thought to have. She continued, “I need to retrieve a stone tablet from Bleak Falls Barrow, south of here and I seek a traveling companion, I was hoping you could spare someone. I was told to expect danger.”</p><p>            “We would be honored to help. First, however, do you have any battle experience? I only ask because it helps in choosing a suitable companion for you and your endeavors.” The man looked her over, tilting his head slightly as if studying her. The younger simply crossed his arms, apparently having already given his judgement of her.</p><p>            “I’ve... defended myself, but I wouldn’t say I have battle experience.” She looked at the blood stains on her armor and hands and wrinkled her nose. “I sort of know the axe. And I know the bow well enough to hit a target, but I don’t have one,” she added and looked at Kodlak, hoping he didn’t pick the young man beside him for this job. She hoped one of the others from before with the giant would help, Farkas or one of the women.</p><p>            “Hmm, a barrow you say? Would it have been a vast wilderness or shallow cave, Aela might have been a good choice. Hmm...” Kodlak contemplated, touching his beard. “You do need someone with more experience, so you need someone from the Circle.”</p><p>            “Farkas, then?” the young man asked.</p><p>            Kodlak knitted his thick brows. “Did you not just voice concerns to me over Farkas and lack of reservations in battle?”</p><p>            “I…” it seemed like he had come to the same realization and was trying to think of another answer.</p><p>            “Why don’t you go, Vilkas?” Kodlak tilted his head thoughtfully at the boy. “You said you haven’t been able to rest, perhaps you need to get back out there. How long has it been?”</p><p>            Felyndiira didn’t have to know the nord to know his expression was a hard no, but he didn’t seem to be able to think of any reason not to go so he nodded once. Kodlak turned to Felyndiira with a smile.</p><p>            “If you’ll have him, Vilkas is one of our finest,” he said and then tilted his head slightly. “Despite his first impressions.”</p><p>            Felyndiira swallows but nodded, “And, uh, how much does a member of the Circle cost? I’m not sure what I’m going to get rewarded with for this….”</p><p>            “Most jobs are one hundred septims, but those are your simple jobs,” Kodlak started and his silver gaze flitted to the man beside him. “We’ll say for a journey to a nearby barrow, where our Vilkas is primarily a body guard, and you may not return for several days that two hundred septims will suffice, unless the job proves to be more,” the old man added the last part. Felyndiira stiffened and shifted uncomfortably.</p><p>            “How will I know if the cost will go up?” she asked.</p><p>            “I’ll tell you,” Vilkas said flatly.</p><p>            “Oh,” she breathed and nodded. She didn’t suppose she would get a mercenary for any less, and a mercenary required the money up front in addition to not having to hold to an honorable code that would prevent her from being abandoned in this Barrow. “It’s a deal then,” she said, trying to smile.</p><p>            “I will gather my things, then,” the nord said in resignation, uncrossing his arms as if he’d hoped she’d be put off the idea by the price. “Before we leave though, I want to test her arm.”</p><p>            Felyndiira stiffened. “Test me how?” She absently followed him as he parted from the old man to go to a room off of the hall. Felyndiira noticed the room was decently sized with a double bed and bookshelves stuffed to the point of overflowing with novels.</p><p>            “We’re going to see what you and that weapon of yours are capable of: what I’ll have to deal with,” Vilkas explained, grabbing a large bag made out of leather and hides and placing supplies in it. He looked at her for a moment, then at her axe.</p><p>            “I did recently cut off a giant’s head, Farkas and some others were there,” Felyndiira offered. “The woman with the old looking armor, and bow, she was there, offered for me to join even….”</p><p>            “Ah, so you’re the outsider they were going on about.” He chuckled to himself, the first sign of emotion other than annoyance. “Even Farkas had more to say than usual. Well now, I have to see this.” He finally put together the last of his supplies and tightened the straps on the bag, grabbing a shield while he was at it. “Come with me to the yard.”</p><p>            She obeyed and tried not to feel like he was the one in charge. She would be paying him at the end of this, making her the one calling the shots, but she was worried if she declined he would decide she wasn’t worth the risk and not come with. Faintly she wished Farkas was an option, but she didn’t know what they meant about lack of reservations, and didn’t know if he would end up being worse than Vilkas here.</p><p>            They made their way out to the yard, it was an open space with practice dummies set up along the city’s outer wall. Vilkas dropped his bag on a table, fiddled with his shield and made his way to the center of the training area.</p><p>            “Just have a few swings at me so I can see your form. Don't worry, I can take it,” he said with a gentle glare. She would have expected a narcissistic smile or at least a more clear boast of confidence, but he seemed to just be talking business. He drew his sword, facing her, and smacked the weapons broadside on the shield to gesture at her target.</p><p>            Felyndiira wrinkled her nose but nodded and grabbed her axe. She noticed how some of the others paused what they were doing to watch but she tried to ignore them. All she had to do was hit him in the shield a few times and they’d get going, right?</p><p>            She swung the axe at him sort of awkwardly, thinking too much about just landing the blow on the shield and not hitting him. She bounced off of him with enough force to stagger herself and she frowned deeper wondering if she needed to embarrass herself more than she already had.</p><p>            “Just imagine he’s a giant!” Farkas called out.</p><p>            “Give him a thrashing, girl!” the brawling woman from earlier called, her face painted with bruises.</p><p>            “Again! Don’t hold back for my sake!” Vilkas barked at her. His teeth flashed, silver eyes gleaming. One might have thought he was having fun.</p><p>            Felyndiira swung the axe again, this time trying hard to be more precise with her attack than just smacking the nord’s shield. She put enough strength behind it that her arm actually hurt from the impact and she thought she might have blunted the iron axe’s edge.</p><p>            Vilkas grunted from the blow, one foot falling back. “There you go! Not bad. We might just have a good journey ahead of us.” He lowered his shield and sheathed his sword. “Do you need anything before we go? Food, water, any supplies needed for tomb raiding?”</p><p>            She winced at how he worded it so casually. “Um, yeah, where can I trade around some armor?” She looked down at her armor and frowned. She needed to get better gear actually suited for her, not looted off of a dead man.</p><p>            “You came to the right place then. Jorrvaskr lies right below the Skyforge. Eorland will probably have something for you. He can also sharpen your axe. The stairway leading up to the forge is on the other side of the building.” He sat at the table and picked up a bottle of ale from a cluster. “Go on, I’ll be down here when you’re ready.”</p><p>            She sort of stared at him for a moment, surprised that he would just... send her on her way like he was, but she finally snorted and left him to drink and eat. Maybe she could haggle down a price with him later if he ended up being a drunkard.</p><p>            Felyndiira went up to the Skyforge and found the smith working on a shield. He glanced at her and tilted his head. “What can I do for you?”</p><p>            “I just needed to trade this armor for something more…” she wasn’t sure how to word it.</p><p>            “I understand,” he said, smiling warmly. “Are you new to the Companions? Or an adventurer looking for the best steel in Skyrim?”</p><p>            She laughed nervously and came forward, looking at some of the armor he had set up and sitting out around his open forge. She had never seen anything like this place. “I came to hire the Companions to help me with a task. I’m not looking to be an adventurer, really,” she said and then pulled out the leather cuirass. “I have this, the Jarl rewarded me with it, I was hoping I could get some bracers and boots to match it. I don’t have much gold, but I have this imperial gear and some other items to trade.”</p><p>            “Hmm,” Eorland inspected the garb. “The imperial gear is enough to get a good trade for what you need.” He looked over the leather cuirass and then to her. “Do you know your measurements?” the blacksmith asked.</p><p>            “I, uh, no,” she stated and then glanced at her iron axe. “Could I also get my axe sharpened?”</p><p>            Eorland nodded in response. “It’ll take a few moments, but if you’ve something to trade, I could do that and get you a dagger to accompany it.” He pulled out a measuring cloth. “May I?”</p><p>            “That sounds great,” she held her arms up as she answered.</p><p>            About a half hour later, she replaced the ill fitting bracers for the new ones he gave her and then tried out the boots. He helped her adjust them so they fit correctly and then showed her how to do the chest piece until she got it tailored to her. She changed into the armor –she had some under armor clothing on to keep chaffing down– and gave the man her old imperial gear.</p><p>“Thanks,” she grinned and looked at the new bracers and boots. “I really appreciate it.” The knife was small but it looked strong, it had an intricate designed worked into the base of the flat sides of the blade.</p><p>            “If you’ll give me a minute or so. I’ll sharpen the axe and you’ll be good to go. Anything else I could do for you?” He asked, picking the axe up from where he left it.</p><p>            “Not unless you have any idea how to deal with Vilkas,” she said mostly to herself in a hushed voice.</p><p>            “Who did you say?” His brow perked up while nursing the weapon to health. “I may look young, but my ears aren’t what they used to be.” He smirked at his own comment, as if holding back a laugh.</p><p>            “Oh, uh, Vilkas is the one accompanying me.” She shifted, unsure if she should talk about him. “Not sure if he’s a good fit for me, seems a little... rough.”</p><p>            “They’re all rough in one way or another,” the nord smith stated, looking over his work. “Don’t take it to heart though, Vilkas has always been wary around strangers. He’ll come around eventually.” Eorland, finally satisfied with a job well done, stood up and gave her the sharpened axe. “Not saying you should let him push you around, though. If there’s any advice I can give you, it’s to be your own damn boss and don’t take anyone’s shit. He might not like you, but you don’t need him to like you. You’re paying him, and you’ll earn his respect by not laying down for him.”</p><p>            That made Felyndiira feel oddly better and she smiled at the old man. “Thank you, for everything,” she said. When she got back down to the yard, she saw Vilkas training with the young imperial that had been at the giant encounter with Farkas and the huntress. “I’m ready when you are, we can probably make good time south before night falls if we leave soon,” she told Vilkas as she came closer.</p><p>            The Nord looked her way and nodded, turning back to the imperial woman to encourage her to keep practicing while he was gone. He grabbed his bag before walking to Felyndiira’s side. “We’re good to go then?” he asked, his eyes giving her a once over. “Nice armor... suppose you’ll get fewer questions that way.”</p><p>            “Suits me,” she said and started walking. He followed her, a massive sword on his back and his bag over his shoulder.</p><p>            She tried not to think about the fact she didn’t have a bedroll or even blanket. She didn’t want to go buying those kind of travel supplies if she wasn’t planning on going on any more adventures. She just wanted to go home after she got this tablet back to Farengar.</p><p>            Felyndiira walked straighter, trying to keep her mood up as she thought of how long before she got to return home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Backtracking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Back to Riverwood!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            They made it out of the city and down the road to the stables before she stopped and gazed up at the mountain. “Should we go to Riverwood and see if there is a path? Or try to reach it from this side?” she asked, looking up at the nord.</p><p>            “We should go through Riverwood. Gather information about the barrow before traveling straight to it. At least, that’s what I would do…. It’s ultimately your choice, however,” he stated, looking at the path ahead.</p><p>            She liked that he didn’t just tell her what to do, but she also felt like he only added the last part to make it seem like she had control and maybe to make her feel like the idea was in a way, hers. She frowned nonetheless and nodded. “Yeah, could get a bed at the inn and head up early in the morning.” She shifted and glanced at him. “Unless that’ll cost extra…”</p><p>            He shook his head. “The old man took into account that this job would take several days. Inn or no inn, it will stay two hundred for now.” His head turned to the sky above them, observing it for a moment. His gaze seemed far away, like he wasn’t just seeing. “Best to get going now if we want to get there before sun down.”</p><p>            “Yes,” she said sort of awkwardly and started walking. She didn’t want to look at him for a while, she didn’t know what to say so it lent for an awkward silence as they made their way back up the mountain to Riverwood. Only when the town was in sight did she finally speak again. “So, uh, how long have you been with the Companions?” He didn’t look very old, so the fact he was in the Circle and was considered one of the experienced ones, she could only imagine he’d been there for while. He could be older than he looked.</p><p>            He glanced at her, as if he forgot that she could speak. Then he thought about her question. “We've been there as long as either of us can remember, my brother and I. Farkas will tell you our father raised us at Jorrvaskr as happy pups, running around biting knees.” He shook his head with a smirk, as if caught up in his own memories. “I love my brother, but his brains are not his strong suit.”</p><p>            She wondered how differently this venture would have been with Farkas. She also tried to imagine the two as brothers. Farkas seemed so nice. Then she wondered if Vilkas meant it as if the man’s kindness was his true fault.</p><p>            “You were raised there?” She couldn’t imagine growing up around a guild of fighters. But it made her feel a little better about his skill. “I grew up on a farm,” she huffed and shook her head.</p><p>            “A farmer? Huh...” he took a second glance at her with a raised brow, as if he viewed her in almost a new light.“That’s… surprising. I didn’t take you for the type.”</p><p>            She snorted and then looked at him with raised brows. “Why’s that?”</p><p>            “You come off as someone who is more used to people pleasing than working fields... despite your appearance I suppose.” He frowned and shook his head at his words, as if that wasn’t exactly the message he meant to get across. “Forgive me. I think I’m trying to say that you have a far more fairer demeanor than one of... a farmer.”</p><p>            She blinked at him and realized he wasn't trying to be rude. She nodded and they crossed the bridge into Riverwood. She noticed a wood elf she thought she recognized walking along side an imperial woman. They were headed to the general store but she and Vilkas went to the inn.</p><p>            “Ah, welcome back. And it looks like you’ve brought a friend,” Delphine greeted when they stepped inside the humble inn. The bard, Sven, was there as well and he turned his lips into a tight awkward smile, avoiding her gaze.</p><p>            Felyndiira smirked and nodded. “Headed up to Bleak Falls Barrow to get something for the Jarl’s wizard, planning on spending the night here and heading up in the morning,” she explained to the innkeeper, not thinking to keep her business to herself until after the words left her lips. “We’ll need rooms tonight,” she said and gestured to Vilkas.</p><p>            “Bleak Falls Barrow? Best be careful then,” she said, taking their coin and showing them to their rooms. “A group of bandits have taken up residence there from what Lucan, the trader, told me. They broke in his shop and stole some fancy decoration piece. I don’t know all the details, but I hear he’s willing to pay good money to get that golden claw thing back.”</p><p>            At the mention of coin, Felyndiira perked up. She should talk to the trader before going up if she could find the time. She was sure Vilkas wouldn’t rush her but she didn’t want to push the price quote.</p><p>            “Thanks, he wouldn’t happen to be around to talk to would he?” she asked and looked around the room of people coming in for dinner.</p><p>            “He is. Lucan is that fellow in the red shirt and white pants, sitting at that table over there.” The nord woman pointed to an Imperial with a dark head of hair. “I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to tell you all about it.”</p><p>            Lucan seemed to be deep in thought as he ate his bread and stew. He didn’t even notice the two walk over to him until they were nearly at his table.</p><p>            “Hello, I hear you had a sort of a break in?” Felyndiira asked the imperial when he finally looked up. She hoped that the reward for returning this man’s stolen item would help buffer whatever the reward for the tablet would be. She still needed to have coin at the end of this to get back to Solitude, and carts weren’t cheap.</p><p>            “Oh, hello! Yes, we did have a bit of a... break-in. But we still have plenty to sell.” He reassured with a smile. “Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw. It’s not the most valuable thing in my shop but they were willing to put up a hell of a fight to get it…”</p><p>            That was interesting. She was going after a dragon stone tablet in bleak falls and now there was a golden dragon claw? “And they’re at Bleak Falls?” Felyndiira asked and glanced at Vilkas. He didn’t know what kind of tablet they were after, but she wondered if he would also find it interesting. But perhaps it was just a coincidence.</p><p>            Lucan perked up at her question, a glimmer of hope now apparent in his dark brown eyes. “The thieves are holing up in Bleak Falls Barrow, just northeast of town.” He looked between the two of them, a smile brightening up his features. Vilkas shifted his feet, uncomfortable in the Imperial’s suddenly enthusiastic gaze. “You know, I’ve got some coin coming in from my last shipment and you two look capable...” he paused to see if they were picking up what he was hinting at. Vilkas merely tilted his head down at Felyndiira with a raised brow.</p><p>            “Yeah, we can look into it,” she said, not wanting to give away they were already headed that way. She wanted to make sure they got paid enough to cover everything after all. “As long as that’s fine with you,” she added, looking at Vilkas with an expectant perk of her brow. She couldn’t imagine this would be something he didn’t want to do, though he did seem reserved about the whole trip in general.</p><p>            Vilkas nodded in approval. “Not like it’s going to be too far out of our way... We’ll see what we can do,” he stated, and Lucan’s mood only seemed to improve, impossibly higher.</p><p>            “I appreciate it, friends. Get that claw back to me and the gold coming my way is as good as yours.”</p><p>            Felyndiira beamed and led the way to the bar to get herself a snack before bed. She settled on a simple stew and brought it to the table closest to her room. She sort of expected Vilkas to follow her or do his own thing, but she also noticed Sven was trying to casually make his way closer.</p><p>            He might have gotten away with looking smooth, had it not been for him constantly looking her way. Vilkas sat down next to her, setting his cooked rabbit on the table. “Ex-lover?” he asked without looking at Sven, before digging in.</p><p>            She laughed, unable to stop the sound coming out her mouth. She shook her head and cleared her throat, trying not to watch the nord’s sharp teeth tear into the rabbit haunch. She swore they were sharper than most nord’s. “He may wish, but no. Just a bard trying to win a girl over for a night. I’m not into that.”</p><p>            He shook his head and swallowed his food. “Never understood the appeal of bards. All they do is stand there and be pretty to make their fortune. To each their own, I guess,” he muttered and took another bite. She watched him for only a moment because the way he pulled the meat off the bone couldn’t have been more animal like if he tried. It reminded her of the way the falmer would tear into flesh. But Vilkas was just a nord that seemed to lack certain table manners.</p><p>            Sven finally made his way to their table, interrupting her thoughts. “Hey, uh, do you think we could talk?”</p><p>            Felyndiira lifted a brow at the bard and then inclined her head. “I’m all ears,” she said and didn’t move from her stew. She thought he might want to talk to her privately, but she didn’t owe him anything, and maybe having Vilkas only an arm’s length away would keep the bard honest.</p><p>            “Thanks...” he breathed, awkwardly pausing as if he weren’t sure where to start. “About last night, I’m sorry for that. My intention wasn’t to try and bed you or anything of the sort, really. I do think you are very beautiful, I won’t deny that–” he rambled, suddenly shifting gears.</p><p>            “Get on with it, bard,” Vilkas sighed and grabbed a bottle of ale, draining most of it in a long gulp while the blonde nord glared heavily at him.</p><p>            “That song I sang to you was a recent work of mine. I just wanted to see if it would... you know, be received well by a woman.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I have a certain beauty that I’m interested in. Camilla Valerius…. The song is about her and the absolute boundless love I have to offer her.” His blue eyes softened at the very thought of the woman before saddening a little. “I figured, since you were a traveler who was just passing through, that I would try it out and if you received it well then I would sing it to her. So, what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry for my false intentions…”</p><p>            Felyndiira sighed and shook her head, “It’s fine, I understand. Thanks for being honest.” She looked up at him and tried not to feel anything. She didn’t want to feel bad or sad or even sorry. Then she remembered the wood elf said something about the bard not standing a chance at winning her heart. “Sounds like you’ve got some competition though.”</p><p>            Sven frowned but quickly forced a smile and laughed. “Oh, you mean Faendal? The elf thinks he can woo Camilla Valerius away from me but I keep telling him that she's already mine. Honestly, what would a rare beauty like her see in a dirty, old hunter?”</p><p>            “An independent, resourceful person with practical life skills, who doesn’t spend all his time at the inn playing on some strings attached to a piece of wood?” Vilkas offered as he wiped his face with a rag and dropped it on the bare remains of the rabbit on his plate. “Not a clue…” he said sarcastically and looked right up into the other nord’s eyes, completely devoid of empathy.</p><p>            Sven opened his mouth in astonishment or maybe speechless anger. But Felyndiira blinked and then tried to stifle her laugh by covering her mouth. She shook her head and tried to catch her breath before saying anything so she didn’t sound so inconsiderate. “Forgive my companion, he doesn’t appreciate bards for what they are. But I wish you the best of luck,” she said and waved at the nord, implying they were done talking. She didn’t see much she could do in this situation and she didn’t think she should meddle in the love lives of the locals.</p><p>            Sven looked as if he wanted to say more but he closed his mouth and nodded before leaving their company. He ended up on the other end of the inn with his lute, singing a song about the War.</p><p>            “Well now, unless we have anymore business to discuss or friends to talk to, I’m going to turn it in for the night. We have a long day ahead of us,” Vilkas said as he got up from his seat. He stretched, rolling his shoulders and neck before arching his spine so that the vertebrae cracked done most of its length. He sighed and then wrinkled his nose, gaze flitting to the ceiling as if he were glaring at someone unseen.</p><p>            “Of course,” she agreed quickly and stood up. She finished her stew in a gulp and put her bowl with his plate. “Uh, I guess see you at sun up?” she offered. She thought that would give them plenty of time to get up to Bleak Falls Barrow and deal with the bandits. She was growing more and more pleased she brought someone to help, she wasn’t sure how she’d have handled the bandits without someone like Vilkas coming along.</p><p>            “Sun up it is.” He nodded in agreement. “Rest well.” With that, he left for his room, closing the door and locking it audibly.</p><p>            Felyndiira went to her room as well. Tried to get a good night’s rest, but all she could think about was waking up in the morning and not being home with her family. She did not rest well, despite the comfortable bed and the knowledge of Vilkas nearby.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Bleak Falls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to go tomb raiding.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felyndiira woke up to a banging on her door. She was startled awake and forgot where she was but realized quickly it was the inn she’s slept in for two nights and the person knocking on her door was her traveling companion, very much wanting her to wake up.</p><p>            “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly and got up to dress herself in her leathers.</p><p>            Once she was outside her room, Felyndiira was greeted by Vilkas standing with crossed arms. “Sun is up. Are you?”</p><p>            The morning light shone in from above, where smoke from the fire escaped. It lit the inn well and reflected some in the Companion’s eyes as he glared half heartedly at her. “I’m up, not used to a bed is all,” she said, then sighed and added, “or waking myself up.” She circled around him and went to the barkeep to get an apple or something for breakfast</p><p>            Vilkas raised a brow at that but didn’t comment on it. “What exactly is on this tablet that we’re retrieving?” he asked instead.</p><p>            “I’m not sure,” she said as she plucked a red apple off of the counter and gave the barkeep a gold coin. She didn’t have much more after the room and food so she hoped these jobs would cover everything. “The court wizard said it was ancient and it had to do with dragons,” she said and gave Vilkas a shrug. “He’s interested since they’re coming back.”</p><p>            The nord gave a slight nod towards her. “A dragon tablet in a barrow filled with a group of bandits who recently stole a trinket that looks like a dragon claw. Makes me wonder what exactly is down there waiting for us.” He pondered, face set in stone.</p><p>            She nodded, her own expression puzzled. “I suppose we’ll have to go find out.”</p><p>            They left and headed to the path leading up the mountain side. The path quickly grew cooler and the snow coming down from the peaks didn’t help. She just kept her hands near her weapons and tried to think about the path ahead of her instead of the desire to go home</p><p>            The two eventually came across an outpost of some kind. A stone tower jutted up out of the mountain.</p><p>            “That’s close enough, strangers.” A bearded man in tattered furs drew near from the building with a hand raised. “You go no further, without coin for the toll,” he stated, and a hand dropped to the hilt of his sword.</p><p>            Vilkas growled, stepping in front of Felyndiira, the sound made the hair on the back of her neck raise.</p><p>            But she didn’t understand why he reacted that way to a toll, they were common enough, the caravan she’d been with paid two before getting attacked on the way down. “A toll? How much is that usually?” She hadn’t been at the front of the caravan to hear how much they had to pay, and she didn’t know what the rate was for a minor path like this with only two travelors.</p><p>            “Ysgramor’s balls...” Vilkas sighed frustratedly.</p><p>            “One hundred to go up the path, another hundred to come down.” The man grinned showing yellowed teeth.</p><p>            “Horse shit…” the Companion barked.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked at Vilkas and tilted her head. “Don’t you pay tolls?” she asked and then narrowed her eyes at the man, starting to put together what was happening.</p><p>            “No...” the Companion said to her. “No, boss, because there’s no toll. Only robbery.”</p><p>            “Now listen here, you basket headed bastard, you and the gray skin can either pay the toll or fuck off to Oblivion or wherever you came from. So what’s it going to be?” The bandit grabbed his sword hilt, but didn’t draw it yet.</p><p>            “Sounds like my companion here doesn’t want to pay the toll,” she said and straightened up a little, trying to look somewhat sure of herself. “Vilkas, as you will,” she waved to the bandit, hoping the nord would be enough to intimidate the man into backing down. Vilkas had to be at least half a foot taller and was far better armored in his wolf armor. </p><p>            Unfortunately, the bandit drew his weapon.</p><p>            Vilkas unsheathed his great sword from his back and charged the man, who came up on them fast. The bandit, with a lighter short sword, got in the first attack but was easily countered by Vilkas. His great sword blocked the attack and bashed into the smaller man in hides.</p><p>            Felyndiira gasped and backed up so she wasn't close enough to get hit. That was when she saw the other bandit at the watch tower entrance. She had a bow trained on Vilkas.Felyndiira gasped and ran around the nord and his combatant. She pulled out her dagger and rushed the woman.</p><p>            The archer had a hard time locking on to her target. “Come on, keep him still.” She loosed the arrow only for it bounce off Vilkas’ armored shoulder. It was only then, did she realize someone was running at her. She dropped her bow but didn’t have time to get to her sword.</p><p>            Felyndiira had <em>no</em> idea what she was doing with this blade but knew if she stuck the woman somewhere soft it would hurt. So, she jabbed with it toward the unarmored, exposed part of her chest, and the woman caught it in the throat.</p><p>            Felyndiira gasped and ripped the blade back out in shock only to spray blood.</p><p>            A man’s scream was heard but only briefly.</p><p>            Clutching her wound, the woman’s eyes bulged at seeing her friend’s head split in half. She looked at Felyndiira, her face a mix of emotions; terror, anger, despair but ultimately none of those feelings would matter. In her final act, whether out of desperation or absolute spite, the woman lunged at the dark elf with her hands going for the her neck. Her mouth opened for a scream, but only a gurgling sound came out.</p><p>            Felyndiira swing the knife haphazardly in front of her to keep the woman back. The woman managed to grab Felyndiira with a bloody hand but ultimately feel to the ground, dead and bleeding.</p><p>            Felyndiira turned to Vilkas to make sure he was okay, so she had to back to the tower. She heard the clank of metal before she turned, and then she was struck by the head of a mace, throwing her backward with the force of the power attack. A man in full iron armor had come out of the tower.</p><p>            “Bastard!” Vilkas roared. The Companion gripped his greatsword and charged.</p><p>            “Kill my mates, will ya?!” the iron clad man snarled. “I’ll fuckin’ smash you to pieces.” He took a few more steps and wound up for a swipe at Vilkas with the deadly mace.</p><p>            Felyndiira scrambled to her feet and looked around for her dagger that fell into the snow. She didn’t know what she was doing here, she was going to die before even getting to the Barrow because of some bandits! She couldn’t hear much over the pulse of her heart in her ears but she managed to grab her dagger and roll onto her ass in the snow. She turned in time to see Vilkas sink his Skyforged blade into the bandit’s shoulder, right where the armor was thin enough to expose some flesh.</p><p>            The bandit shouted in pain and swung his mace at Vilkas in a fit of blind rage. It clanged against his side loudly. The Companion swung the sword around this time, so the point found into the weak spot. The blade sunk into the flesh, burying deep in the bandit as if he were a sheath. Blood poured freely through the wound as Vilkas used his other hand to shove the sword down with inhuman strength, forcing the bandit to his knees as the blade came out the other end. A groan was the man’s response as he dropped his mace and went limp, the only thing holding him up was the great sword running him through from shoulder to the ground between his knees. Blood poured out on to the snow and Felyndiira had to cover her mouth.</p><p>            Vilkas kicked the man’s armored chest, denting the metal inward and pulling his sword out of the bloodied torso. The bandit, now on his back in the snow, lay motionless save for a twitch in his right leg. Vilkas knelt beside the man and ripped the helmet from his head and smashed it into the man’s face, shattering the bones. The Companion did it again, and again, continuing this onslaught, caught in a trance of some kind, turning the head into bone fragments and mush in the snow.</p><p>            “Vilkas!” Felyndiira shouted and came closer. She put her dagger away. “He’s dead! Stop it!” She didn’t want to get too close but the hostility was completely unnecessary. He looked lost, his silvery eyes flashing gold and his lips curled back over his teeth like a rabid hound. She stepped back, afraid he’d turn on her next if she was within reach.</p><p>            Vilkas heard her and froze, dropping the helmet in what remained of the bandit’s head. He looked at the mutilated corpse then back at her. His eyes were pale silver now, not longer wild, but almost remorseful. “I uh... forgive me.” He got up, his cheeks and ears warming, and for a long time he couldn’t seem to look at her. “I don’t normally, get like that. I…. You were hurt, how are you doing?”</p><p>            Felyndiira hesitated before trying to find out for herself how she felt. She didn’t feel all that hurt, she was sure she was only knocked back and perhaps the breath taken from her by the impact, but nothing felt broken. “I’m fine,” she said and tilted her head. “Are you going to... do that every time you are in a fight?”</p><p>            “No, I... I got carried away. I’m usually in control. It just comes out sometimes…. No need to worry, I’m fine now,” he reassured. The companion sheathed his sword and rolled his shoulder. He took out his water pouch and took a swig then gestured it to her.</p><p>            She shook her head and said, “I’m good, I think we should check the tower and bodies for anything valuable before going forward.” She hated the idea of leaving something of worth behind in her current situation.</p><p>            He nodded. “We earned that much at least. I’ll go first, just in case there are more of them.”</p><p>            She let him go and took a moment to search the bodies while he went into the tower. She found some gold –only enough for a night at the inn and a meal so she and Vilkas must have been the first to come across this ‘toll’– and some lockpicks she decided to hold onto in case they found something that needed opened in this Barrow.</p><p>            Vilkas didn’t find much in the tower, but they did end up with a few amethysts and knew they’d been worth something, so she counted it as a win.</p><p>            The rest of the hike up the mountain was quiet save for the howling of the wind over the rock face. They made it to the massive black structure marked with ancient stones stacked on top of each other, showing passersby the path to the Barrow it looked like. Against the white blanket of snow, the Barrow was stark and easy to see. It towered over them, even from a distance, and would have required a thick snow storm to miss.</p><p>            Vilkas took lead once they were within sight of the Barrow, which suited her just fine. She just hoped he didn’t go into another rage and start being up dead bodies. Well, unless they were draugr, she supposed.</p><p>            There were only three bandits outside of Bleak Falls’ entrance, and Vilkas was able to take out two while Felyndiira took on the archer again. It seemed this strategy worked well for them, as long as Felyndiira could get to the archer before they switched to melee combat. She had little skill beyond smacking something repeatedly, and hoping for the best.</p><p>            Inside the barrow, Vilkas used a bow he’d picked up from one of the bandits outside to take down the two talking beside a fire. He was pretty good at archery, apparently, but when she commented on it, he simply handed her the bow and said it wasn’t really his thing.</p><p>            Disturbed spider webs and slain skeevers told them more bandits would be ahead. One lay dead at a lever with a bunch of darts sticking out of him from all angles. Vilkas pointed out some pillar stones that could be rotated to show different relief carvings of animals. He explained that, in his experience, one had to get the correct combination of animals for the path to open. Usually, they were easy enough to solve either from riddles or signs found within the halls leading to the chamber. Lucky for them, the path was already open, and by the fact this dead bandit had nothing of value on him, they could assume more bandits would be ahead.</p><p>            Vilkas pointed out burial urns and told her if she didn’t mind digging through the ashes of ancient dead, she could find things of worth buried with them. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it even after he shrugged and said it wasn’t his ancestors so he didn’t care. She stuck to opening the offering chests and supply barrels instead. She wasn’t so desperate for coin she was going to go defiling bodies just yet.</p><p>            It wasn’t until they reached spider webs that they heard a voice. It was of a man, crying, and Felyndiira paused to look at Vilkas who was tilting his head, turning his ear to the sound. He walked along in front of her, his sword up. They came to a dead end that was half covered in spider webs. Felyndiira deflated, but Vilkas looked around the webbing and then started slashing his sword at some of it. She expected it to bounce off the rock wall, but instead the spider web gave way and an opening was exposed.</p><p>            The crying stopped and a man spoke up, sniffling pathetically, “Is... is someone coming? Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Soling?”</p><p>            Vilkas slashed through the last bit and stumbled into a wide chamber lined with spider webs from top to bottom. Felyndiira followed behind, the bow in her hands ready. Along the floor were bundles of wound webbing, bodies the sizes of skeevers and some the size of people. Felyndiira stiffened and remembered the large spiders back in the cave escaping Helgen, she wasn’t sure how well Vilkas and she would hold up against them if there were too many. Even Hadvar had troubles cutting down the six that were down there –though he had no help from her as she cowered behind him. At least Vilkas could benefit from her taking at least one down, she hoped.</p><p>            “I know I ran ahead with the claw, but I need help!” The voice was clearer now, just on the other side of the room. The light filling the chamber came in from a massive hole above them. The hole aligned above a trap door that may have been a drainage system long ago, but now was lined with spider webs so thick it wouldn’t move unless fire cleansed it.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked around and saw someone strung up in the web, struggling, but obviously not getting anywhere. He’d said claw, she’d bet all the gold she had on her it was the golden claw she was supposed to get for Lucian.</p><p>            Vilkas seemed to think the same thing and started forward.</p><p>            The man seemed to be able to make out that they weren’t his friends when they drew closer. “What? Who are you?” he gasped and then shook around where he was stuck. “Oh, never mind. Cut me down before that thing gets us!”</p><p>            “What thing?” Felyndiira asked. The light vanished from the chamber and she and Vilkas looked up to see the hole in the ceiling filled with the massive form of a giant spider.</p><p>            Felyndiira couldn’t withhold her shriek of surprise and she sprinted back to the entrance of the room. She held the bow up shakily and knocked an arrow as Vilkas swung his greatsword around, trying to take out the legs as the beast settled down on ground.</p><p>            The man caught in the webbing screamed and cried, shouting about keeping the creature away from him.</p><p>            She fired some iron arrows and they stuck in the creature’s side, but it barely seemed to notice. It was focused on Vilkas, spitting poison and lunging at him to get its mouth around him. He didn’t seem fazed and thrust the greatsword up into the creature’s mouth, baring his own teeth at it as it went limp and flopped down on the ground in front of him.</p><p>            Felyndiira approached and plucked arrows from the creature and sighed. “Well, I tried,” she offered and he just smirked at her.</p><p>            “Good, you killed it, now you can get me out of here,” the man said, wiggling around.</p><p>            “You said something about a claw.” Felyndiira approached the man and exchanged her bow for the dagger.</p><p>            “Yes, the claw. I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together! Help me down, and I'll show you.” He smiled down at her. Now that she was close, she could see he was a dark elf as well. For just a moment, she felt a sort of kinship, as she always did with other dark elves. “You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there,” he added and shook his head.</p><p>            “We’re here for the claw, the trader you stole it from wants it back,” she said, not sounding as harsh as she’d wanted to.</p><p>            “Oh, he can have it once we’re done here. Listen, I just need help getting to the end,” he said and nodded to the spider. “Not sure if there are more ahead.”</p><p>            “Why don’t you give us the claw, and then we can decide if we want to work together or not?” Vilkas offered, his greatsword still in hand, and still smeared with spider’s blood.</p><p>            “Does it look like I can move?” the dark elf asked. “You need to cut me down first.”</p><p>            “All right, just give me a second,” Felyndiira said and started to cut the web with her dagger.</p><p>            “I can feel it coming free,” the elf said, sounding more pleased than relieved. The moment his feet hit the ground, he shoved Felyndiira back into Vilkas, staggering them both and bolted for the path ahead. “You fools! Why would I share the treasure with anyone?” he shouted as he ran.</p><p>            Felyndiira and Vilkas rushed after him. But they didn’t need to. The poor sod ran right into a room of draugr, and they cut him to pieces.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Burial Chamber</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to find that tablet, it's more intense of an experience than either of them thought it would be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Felyndiira patted down the corpse of the dark elf once Vilkas dealt with the draugr that killed him. She found the claw tucked in a bag with a journal and some lockpicks. She took the picks and flipped through the journal quickly but ultimately left it with him.</p><p>            “Have the claw,” she said when she stood and turned it around in her hand. “What do you think it does?”</p><p>            The companion walked over and looked the item over. His eyes lit up when he saw the symbols in the palm of the claw. He chuckled and shook his head as if it all made sense now. “It’s a key. Sometimes ancient nords created puzzles to get inside certain parts of their barrows. Well, we just got the key and possibly, the answer to a puzzle. Something tells me, we might need this to get your tablet.”</p><p>            She perked you a little. “You’re sure the key will open something here? I imagine there are a lot of things in a lot of places it could open….”</p><p>            “Perhaps you’re right and it’s just wishful thinking on my part. Yet, you’ve been sent here for some kind of dragon tablet and this is a key shaped like a dragon claw. A dragon claw key that a group of bandits were eager to get here with –that <em>he</em> was eager to get here with,” Vilkas explained, looking into her eyes meaningfully as he gestured to the dead man. “Either way, you’re getting something out of having it in your possession. Best keep it on you.”</p><p>            She nodded and tucked it into her bag. “I think you should lead the way, I’m... not sure what I’ll do if more draugr show up.” She gestured to the path ahead and shifted the bow in her hand.</p><p>            “Aye, back to work then” he said, walking ahead.</p><p>            They continued their journey, being sure to avoid the traps along the way. The spiked wall was predictable enough but the hallway filled with swinging blades took time. Taking out the draugr quickly became an expected chore. Vilkas was able to bring most down with two swipes of his heavy sword, but Felyndiira opted to use her bow to knock hanging oil lamps to the ground and throw a simple fire spell down. She knew how to create flames and to heal minor wounds on herself –the spell didn’t work for anyone other than the caster– but beyond that she didn’t know a lot about magic.</p><p>            The two of them eventually came across a gated door with a stream of water running through it. Vilkas pulled the chain and soon they were in a cave with glowing mushrooms. Fresh air filled their lungs as they continued to move forward.</p><p>            “This doesn’t really look like part of the barrow... unless,” she wrinkled her nose in thought. “Did ancient nords use the cave systems? That would certainly help I suppose.”</p><p>            “Skyrim has an abundance of caves. It was probably just convenient for them in this case.” The companion squinted and frowned. Bright light shined in the direction they were headed. The two stopped at the edge of a drop off, seeing a snow covered bridge below with a skeleton warrior on patrol. “No shortage of undead in this place is there?” he snorted. He looked around to see a passageway to their right and nodded to it for them to continue.</p><p>            Felyndiira shook her head and readied her bow. The undead hadn’t noticed them yet so it simply strode along its path. She could see it had worn a rut in the earth from its diligent steps. “Let me see if I can….” She knocked an arrow and tried to line it up to hit the skeleton. But it went short, just behind its feet. It started with a rattle of bones and turned around but didn’t look up. She tried again but it shambled forward, and her arrow was behind it again.</p><p>            “Take your time and focus your breathing,” Vilkas whispered to her. “We’re not in a hurry or anything,” he said, watching the skeleton repeat its route.</p><p>            She took a deep breath and fired again. She didn’t understand why she was able to hit the slave back in Blackreach but she couldn’t manage this skeleton. She didn’t feel the same rush. This was just some undead, it wasn’t a real threat, if it somehow saw her and got up here, one swing from the Companion’s greatsword and it’d be in pieces.</p><p>            Vilkas shifted. “Or maybe we could save your arrows for a better target...”</p><p>            Just then her last iron arrow smacked the head off the skeleton and the creature collapsed in on itself. She sighed and shook her head, disappointment weighing heavily on her shoulders. When they got down to the body she picked up the quiver of ancient arrows it had and swapped out the bow for the one it carried as well –it looked firmer with a better build than her simple bow. “Surprised this is still useable,” she said to Vilkas.</p><p>            “Nords make things that last throughout the ages. Jorrvaskr wasn’t always a mead hall but a long boat made for the Five Hundred Companions’ return,” Vilkas explained with an approving nod. He continued on ahead once she was ready.</p><p>            They reached a long hallway after a massive double door. “Looks like a trap,” she said with a frown. It was relatively straight with large square impressions with wall carvings on either side.</p><p>            “No, this is the Hall of Stories,” he stated, appreciating the sight. His greatsword was still out, however. “Our ancestors built these halls to symbolize the dead’s passage to Sovngarde. We are close but that does not mean we let down our guard.” He signaled Felyndiira to follow him.</p><p>            They got to the door and Felyndiira noticed three massive wheels in the door. It looked like they could move if forced. She noticed more animals and tilted her head. “The claw would go here,” she said and touched the white slate panel.</p><p>            Vilkas ran his hand along the wheels, brushing the dust off of the animal symbols. “The animals must have a meaning to it as well, like the puzzle from earlier. Hopefully, this one won’t try to kill us if we get it wrong,” the Companion wished. His brows were knitted in thought. “I wonder what lies behind this door. I can’t imagine bandits would be willing to go through all this trouble for just a stone tablet.”</p><p>            “Unless the knowledge it contains is worth something to more than just the jarl’s wizard,” she pointed out. She turned the claw over in her hands and looked at the animals. “The top one looks like a bear,” she said. “Then a moth maybe? And then an owl.”</p><p>            Vilkas looked at the claw and then at the door. He shrugged his shoulders and began turning the massive wheels to resemble the pattern. “Well then, let’s try it. Go ahead and put the key in.”</p><p>            She did and nothing happened. She then realized she needed to push it in and twist for it to set and as soon as she did the door shuttered. She pulled the key out as the wheels spun, settling on all owls, and then the door began to sink into the ground.</p><p>            It revealed a wide set of stairs leading up. Vilkas put a calloused hand on her shoulder and grinned, “Congratulations, your prize is more stairs.”</p><p>            “More stairs,” she sighed, “whoever designed this barrow was very concerned with fitness.” She smirked and they went together up the stairs into a massive chamber lit by the setting sun outside bouncing off slick, pale rocks. Bats fluttered around as they drew closer to the center of the area. Water poured down from the right, under a natural looking bridge formed from the cave, and rushed out of sight. She and Vilkas climbed up onto a massive, carved stone platform that had a half wall of carvings across from them and a sarcophagus sitting on a raised platform beside a chest.</p><p>            “The stone must be in the chest,” Vilkas said, indicating it with his chin. He sheathed his blade and climbed the steps to the large ornate box. </p><p>            But Felyndiira’s eyes were locked on the carved wall. She slowly drew closer to it as the light around her seemed to be sucked into a single word in the wall. It was written in dragon’s tongue, but somehow she knew what it was. She knew it was Fus. Force. But its meaning evaded her. She grew closer. She knew what force meant to a mortal, but she didn’t know what it meant to a dragon.</p><p>            Her hand raised and brushed the stone, her fingers dipping into the deeply carved word. The light returned to the cavern and Felyndiira blinked several times, adjusting her eyes.</p><p>            And then the lid of the sarcophagus flung open.</p><p>            Vilkas whipped around, the lid of the chest slamming shut. Both of his hands gripped the hilt of his weapon with practiced ease.“Heads up, we have company!” he shouted to Felyndiira.</p><p>            A large, armor adorned draugr emerged from its resting place. It’s glowing blue eyes flared in the direction of the dark elf and took a step with an ancient sword and shield in its hands. Vilkas slashed at the undead warrior, carving a savage wound on it but not nearly as effective as it would have been on an ordinary draugr. Its head snapped toward the mortal nord and let loose a shout so powerful it threw Vilkas backward so he landed hard on the steps.</p><p>            “<em>Fus Ro Dah</em>!” the words echoed in the cave long after the effect and they bounced around in her mind. She knew what they meant and it made her turn around in surprise.</p><p>            “Vilkas! Watch out for the blade!” she cried when she saw the frosty edge. She only then noticed he’d been thrown by only the voice of the draugr. She grabbed her bow and fired, hitting just as often as she missed but the arrows only stuck in the draugr like splinters.</p><p>            Vilkas made some progress after recovering from the shout, but not much. The ancient shield on the draugr warlord looked as though it were about to give at any second. The nord had wounded the corpse several times yet it still attacked with just as much tenacity as before. The undead would never tire, but Vilkas could only swing his sword so many times.</p><p>            Felyndiira dropped the ancient bow and grabbed the skyforged steel dagger on her belt. She ran up to the draugr as it kicked Vilkas off the stone platform its sarcophagus sat on. She managed to line up her stride to be behind it so it didn’t see her coming until she was right on it.</p><p>            It was a great deal taller than her, taller than Vilkas too, but she jumped up and grabbed one of the horns from its helmet. She took the dagger and stuck it in the spine beneath the steel protecting the back of its head.</p><p>            The draugr made an odd choke noise and the body went ridged, cracking like bones being popped, but all over as it took a knee and then fell over, taking Felyndiira with it.</p><p>            She laid there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe it, she’d killed the draugr.</p><p>            “Boss!” Vilkas shot up and ran to her. His stopped when the motionless draugr came into view. “You killed it?” he asked breathlessly, lowering his sword. Though, he gave the corpse a n instinctual kick anyway. When it didn’t stir, he sheathed the great weapon. “Well then, who is protecting who at this point?” He chuckled.</p><p>            She smiled up at him where she lay before sitting up. She glanced over at the body and shivered. Its withered, sunken flesh sagged over its ancient bones, and the longer she looked at it, the older the corpse seemed. It was as if whatever magic had reanimated it was ebbing away.</p><p>            Vilkas offered her a hand and she took it. “Thanks,” she said and took a deep breath. “He was... harder than the others.”</p><p>            “Aye, and one that could use his voice as a weapon. It’s like something out a storybook,” he commented, he hadn’t let her hand go. “And, <em>you</em> killed it. I... will tell the others about this but... I don’t even know your name.”</p><p>            “Oh,” she breathed loudly. “It’s Felyndiira Gah-Aka, though people usually shorten it,” she added sort of awkwardly. Dark elves were hot blooded but nords had to be warm to fight the cold, so his larger hand around hers felt like she was near a flame.</p><p>            “Felyndiira...” he drawled it out, as if to remember both the name and the face it belonged to. “Aye, I could fill the hall with that name.” He nodded, his silver eyes seemed to warm at the thought. She blushed at the way he worded that. “A tale of a dark elf woman who would take me into an ancient temple, guarded by both bandits and draugr, to fight an undead warlord whose very shout could shake Nirn.”</p><p>            She couldn’t meet his gaze as she laughed a little, looking at their hands. Why hadn’t he let go yet? He hadn’t touched her like this, no one had. She gazed up at him, bit her lip, and then pulled him close using the hand he held. Her lips brushes his, and he didn’t pull away.</p><p>            In fact, he leaned into the kiss. Using his free hand to cup the side of her face, a calloused thumb tenderly caressed her cheek.</p><p>            She slid her hands up into his hair, the thick locks tangling around her fingers. She let her tongue slide between their lips and she pressed her body hard against him.</p><p>            Everything was fresh, the adrenaline from the fight, and whatever in Oblivion happened with the word wall. She felt hot and heavy and Vilkas seemed like he needed this too as his hands grabbed her hips roughly and ground her against him, trying to give them both the friction they sought.</p><p>            They separated after a moment, catching their breaths from the intensity. Vilkas growled, looking at his armor now as restraints. He fumbled for a minute, ripping off his gauntlets so that he was better able to take off the metal and furs. The armor revealed rippled muscles dusted lightly with hair.</p><p>            Felyndiira drank him in while she pulled at the straps of her leather, freeing herself down the front. His silver eyes locked on her breasts when they came exposed, only covered by a thinshirt meant to keep her armor from chafing.</p><p>            She didn’t get her boots or gauntlets off before he was on her again, stripped down to only his boots. He snarled as he lifted her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, wondering where he was taking her.</p><p>            Vilkas easily carried her to the ancient engraved wall. As soon as her back hit the stone, the nord was back on Felyndiira kissing and biting her neck. His hardened cock ground against her. He adjusted the dark elf so that one of his hands could grasp the linen covering her breasts and ripped the material off.</p><p>            She gasped as cool air brushed over her bare chest. Her ashen nipples perked for him and he separated from her neck long enough to give each a longing suck. She moved a hand down between them, pulling her smalls aside as his cock pushed against her thigh, waiting oh so impatiently. She grabbed the shaft and gave it a few tugs.</p><p>            Vilkas groaned appreciatively, especially when she took a moment to rub the tip against her soaked lips. “Ready for the ride of your life?” he growled in her ear and nipped at it before plunging himself inside of her.</p><p>            She mewled loudly and leaned her head back against the wall as he sheathed himself in her. His nord cock filled her instantly, more than she’d ever been. She moaned as he arched his back, keeping her there so she could get used to his size.</p><p>            Felyndiira gripped his shoulders, nails biting into his flesh. She liked this. She liked this a lot.</p><p>            “So fucking tight...” he hummed through clenched teeth. Vilkas gave a few thrusts, to test her. Satisfied that it didn’t seem as though he was hurting her, he quickened his pace. Both hands gripped the cheeks of her ass. He couldn’t help but give one a slap as her walls gripped his length perfectly.</p><p>            “Vilkas!” she panted with her head back and lolling to the side. She ran her fingers through his hair and raked his shoulder, listening to him snarl and growl into her neck. His teeth threatened her throat, but she couldn’t think about anything but the bestial fuck he gave her.</p><p>            She came, her whole body shuttering in his grasp and she huffed his name again. Her walls milked him, begging for him.</p><p>            She found his lips long enough to nip his lower lip and start swaying her hips, needing more.</p><p>            He chuckled knowingly, his voice husky, as he rode out her orgasm. The nord gripped her hips almost painfully, pounding into her at a relentless pace. His rhythm soon turned erratic however, and his breathing hitched. Vilkas let out a guttural groan from somewhere deep and unknown. “Felyndiira...” he howled, the sound resonating in his chest before coming out of his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, only to open and look at her; her dark hair, parted lips, bouncing breasts, her lustrous purple eyes.</p><p>            She gazed back at him as the lights faded around them, just like before when she approached the wall. All she could see was him, looking back, panting, mixing breath with hers as he thrust a couple more times. She pulled him into a kiss as she came again, her body all but writhing against him.</p><p>            Vilkas grunted, pulling himself out of her quickly as his seed spilled in ropes along the wall. He didn’t pull his lips from hers, even when he gave himself a few more strokes. When he pulled away, he let out a satisfied sigh, giving her a kiss on the cheek before making his way back to the sarcophagus. “Mind if I sit you here?”</p><p>            Felyndiira didn’t trust her voice so she just nodded. She settled down as he took a few strides to stretch the muscles he’d bound up tight, she tried to even her breath and brush down her hair so it didn’t look like she’d been pinned up against a wall.</p><p>            Something caught her eye, and she noticed the sarcophagus wasn’t empty. She turned to see a large stone tablet sitting beside where the body should have been.</p><p>            “Found the tablet,” she breathed and bent to pick it up. It looked rather unremarkable with holes carved into it at different depths. “Not sure what he’s going to learn from it...”</p><p>            Felyndiira looked up at Vilkas as he took a deep breath, hands on his hips. The dim light bouncing off the walls shone in the sweat coating his skin, making him glisten and she bit her lip. She hadn’t expected such an encounter, but she was happy she could think back to this moment instead of Blackreach now.</p><p>            “It’s old and a has bunch of patterned scratches on it. Chances are, the wizard will spend hours studying it anyway. Even if it does end up being worthless.” Vilkas explained, strapping the fur back on to cover himself. He looked at her exposed breasts, smirking as he retrieved some wraps from his bag and handed them to her.</p><p>            Felyndiira blushed and took the fresh wraps and started to spin them around her to hold her chest in place. “So, uh,” she blinked as she tried to form her words, her throat suddenly dry, “this isn’t going to cost me extra is it?” She found herself smiling stupidly up at him when she stood and started putting her leathers back on.</p><p>            He chuckled and shook his head. “No, that was on me.” He finally got the rest of his armor on when we went back to the chest he was looking through earlier. Opening it, he took out a shield, a pouch of what sounded like coins, and an amethyst. Vilkas seemed to pause, looking at something else inside the chest. “What is that?”</p><p>            Felyndiira tilted her head as she drew closer and peered into the chest. It was a large white orb with flat sides all around it. It was roughly the size of Vilkas’ head, and it seemed to thrum silently as she stared at it. “I’m... not sure,” she said and reached down to pick it up.</p><p>            “A new hand touches the beacon!” A woman’s voice reverberated across the tomb, making both of them jump. It was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Vilkas gripped the hilt of his sword, searching. “Listen! Hear me and obey. A foul darkness has seeped into my temple. A darkness that you <em>will</em> destroy! Return my beacon to Mount Kilkreath. And I will make you the instrument of my cleansing light!”</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced up at Vilkas, her eyes wide.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Leaving</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Felyndiira looked around and then at the orb she held. “Mount Kilkreath? That’s near Solitude if I remember right,” she said and glanced at Vilkas who tilted his head at her. “I’m from there,” she added.</p><p>            “Well then, it ought to be an easy journey when or if ever you go back.” Vilkas raised a brow. “Though I would be more concerned about being forced to deal with a dark presence in a temple or being an instrument in someone’s grand plan. Or is that just a regular occurrence to you?”</p><p>            She balked, seeming to realize what he said. “I, uh, no not really regular,” she admitted. “I’m sure I’ll need help with that.... If I decide to do it,” she added and turned the thing over in her hand. “I’m trying to get back home, I guess it gives me another reason to go back.” She glanced up at him. “Not that I need another one.”</p><p>            The nord frowned at that. “What brought you to Whiterun in the first place?” he asked, turning back to the amethyst and pocketing it. He tossed the pouch of coins to her.</p><p>            She smirked a little, realizing the amethyst was probably part of his payment as well as the gold she’d eventually pay him. “Well, it’s a long story, but honestly, I wanted to... start a new life, I guess.” She sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know what I was thinking, the moment I left everything went wrong.”</p><p>            “A new life in Whiterun? That’s one way to get out from under the Empire’s thumb.” He looked at her with a lifted brow. “Can’t be all bad though. As a farmer, did you ever think you would go into a temple full of bandits and draugr on orders from a court wizard to retrieve a stone tablet?” Vilkas asked, moving towards a staircase that led upwards.</p><p>            She followed him and shook her head, but realized he couldn’t see her so she said, “No, I thought I’d grow up, find a nice dunmer to make my parents happy, and then be a shopkeeper or merchant or farmer’s wife,” she said honestly. “Or even a mercenary’s wife, with how my people do in Skyrim. I think I preferred that idea,” she added with a shameful smile. “A man who can protect what’s his,” she said sort of dreamily but didn’t continue.</p><p>            Her gaze lingered on Vilkas as he climbed in front of her. She could imagine him under the armor now, tapered waist and curved ass, muscled stomach, back, and thighs. She licked her lips and bit the lower one. He could protect what was his, and he’d do a damn good job of it.</p><p>            “Have a job and get married,” Vilkas summarized with a nod. “Doesn’t sound too hard. You’re already halfway to becoming a mercenary. You’ll get paid for returning the claw to the trader and I imagine you’re getting paid for the tablet,” he pointed out. “Now all you have to do is get married, probably to another mercenary so he can help you out.” They came to a gated door. Fresh air poured inside. Vilkas looked around and found the chain to pull.</p><p>            “Don't forget he has to be a dunmer,” she reminded him, as they made their way through a rear passage. She smiled as she spoke, curious what his thoughts would be considering what they just did.</p><p>            “Well, in that case, you’re doing a terrible job so far.” He smirked back at her. They emerged to see the sun low in the sky. “We made it, with some daylight to spare. Not a bad run if you ask me.” The nord took a moment to look at her again. “You know… if you ever really consider becoming a mercenary –I think we could arrange a bed for you in Jorrvaskr. The Companions would do good to have you.” His cheeks were flushed, possibly from the chilled winds. “It’s good money, you’ll live comfortably, and you’ll be treated as a member of the family… just thought I’d offer…”</p><p>            Felyndiira stared at him for a moment, surprised at the offer. She couldn’t believe he would suggest it. She understood –sort of– the group with the giant, they didn’t know she was a terrible fighter, but Vilkas saw her miss with the bow just as often as she hit, and she only barely managed to kill the draugr. She smiled and shook her head, he was probably just being nice since they had sex. “Maybe, I still need to go home and see my family, they need to know I’m alive,” she said, mostly to herself.</p><p>            Vilkas nodded with a frown, “Best get moving then. Nothing’s going to get done with us standing here.” The nord started his path down the rocky hillside. “Farkas would like you, your loyalty anyway. He still mentions every once in a while that we should have looked for Jergen after the Great War.”</p><p>            “You’re brothers, you said, right?” she asked as they slowly descended. This entrance would have been impossible to reach without knowing exactly where it was and no doubt was intended for emergency escapes. “He seems kind.”</p><p>            “Aye, twin brothers if you can believe it. Though I like to think I’m smarter and better looking,” he winked at her and she smiled. It made her tingle a little, in a sort of childish way. “Anyway, he sees the best in everyone, even when they don’t deserve it. I almost envy him in that regard.”</p><p>            Felyndiira let him help her down some steep rock faces before she replied, “I know I’m paying you, but I do appreciate you helping me. I’ve been on my own for a while and I don’t think I could have trusted anyone to watch my back, unless I paid them like you, but that can be hairy as well,” she added with a frown. “Paying up front can be dangerous I’ve heard.”</p><p>            “Paying someone upfront and for what? For them to abandon the job once it gets inconvenient but still have filled pockets? Or even worse, leaving you for dead and taking the rest of what you had.” He shook his head, a scowl on his lips. “If you’re really in it for the business, you don’t charge until the job is done.” Once they were off the mountain, they set a good pace toward Riverwood through the forest. She more or less just followed him, he would look up at the sky and closed his eyes to listen to the night and change direction slightly now and again. Felyndiira realized how much trust she was putting in him, but didn’t feel nervous about it like she normally would. “So, I’m curious…” Vilkas started again after the grim subject. “What exactly were you doing in that Imperial armor? It hardly fit you.”</p><p>            “It was all Hadvar and I could find in Helgen when the dragon was attacking,” she recalled, looking up at the dark sky. The sun was almost gone but the moons were bright. “It was the imperial gear or the ragged clothes I escaped in,” she said, not expanding on the other escape.</p><p>            “You were in Helgen when the dragon attacked?” he asked incredulously, his lips parted as if wanting to ask more questions. He spared her, however, choosing instead, to think. “I suppose you have been through a lot then; dragons, court wizards going on about ancient stone tablets, and retrieving a claw from a bunch of bandits is enough to make a person yearn for home and stay there.” He joined her in looking up into the endless twilight. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen tonight. He took an audible deep breath, clenching his jaw as if resisting something.</p><p>            Felyndiira tried not to stare at him, and turned her attention to the torchbugs and luna moths. “I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get home. It seems like there will always be something,” she said in a low voice and tilted her head. “Not all bad, meeting the Companions was nice... more than nice.”</p><p>            He hummed thoughtfully, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. “Is that your way of asking for company on the ride back home?”</p><p>            She glanced at him, her lips curling at the corners involuntarily. “I’m not sure I can afford it yet. Let’s see what reward the Jarl sees this tablet worth,” she said and tried not to think about her parents reacting to her bringing a nord home. She also wasn’t sure if he was fishing for coin or genuinely interested in coming with her. And she really didn’t know if the trip back would end up involving more encounters like what happened in the burial chamber if he came with her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that yet.</p><p>            He nodded in agreement. They continued in comfortable silence until they finally reached the stone archway of Riverwood. The white and gold uniforms of Whiterun guards could be seen on patrol with their torches.</p><p>            “Didn’t take long for them to get here,” Vilkas commented as they entered the village.</p><p>            "I wondered how long it would take after I told the jarl," she said offhandedly. They stepped up to the trader. "Think they're open?" she asked.</p><p>            Vilkas shrugged “Might as well knock and see. How he went on about this thing, he might not care what time it is.” The Companion rapped on the door. A minute went by before they heard movement and what seemed like a whispered fuss on the other side.</p><p>            The door opened, revealing Lucan, bleary-eyed with tousled hair. “Hello?” he muttered.</p><p>            “We’ve got your claw,” Felyndiira said and pulled it out of her bag. The shopkeeper’s eyes bugged wide and he all but threw the door open for them.</p><p>            “You did! There it is!” He smiled and took it from her but blinked and coughed. “It seems smaller than I remember it, but uh, I’ll get your gold. Thanks so much for returning it. You don’t know what this means for me and my sister.” He backed into the shop and Felyndiira stepped in to follow. A woman in an evening gown stood near the steps, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked like the same woman that had walked with the wood elf earlier. She wondered if she was the woman Sven was talking about.</p><p>            She was young and pretty, imperial, and looked like the sort to paint her face in bright colors. Felyndiira never did that but she knew many women swore by it. She wasn’t sure if she had the kind of features even makeup would help.</p><p>            When Sven said she was beautiful, Felyndiira couldn’t remember the last time someone told her so, and she knew he was being nice, at least partial. She didn’t think she was ugly, just plain. Her purple eyes were her most attractive feature, the rest of her face was just average, high, pointed features with dark, ashy skin. She felt like she was too skinny, her bones were easily counted because of her malnourishment in Blackreach.</p><p>            “What’s going on?” Camilla asked.</p><p>            “Don’t you have eyes, Camilla? The claw! They’ve brought it back to us! I’m going to put this back where it belongs. I’ll never forget this, thank you both!” The trader rambled, carefully placing the claw on the counter and beaming at it.</p><p>            “Don’t forget their reward, brother,” Camilla said sleepily.</p><p>            “Huh?” The imperial paused his actions, looking confused.</p><p>            “Their payment, Lucan!” she begged.</p><p>            “Oh! That’s right, your payment.” He gave himself a swat to the head, chuckling. He bent down behind his counter. Vilkas looked at Felyndiira with a raised brow.</p><p>            “Please forgive him, he’s been worried about it nonstop for the past few days now. It means so much to us to have the claw back where it belongs. Thank you,” she smiled graciously. Lucan came back from behind the counter, handing Felyndiira two pouches of coins.</p><p>            “There you are. I’m guessing you took care of those thieves, too? Hah! The Riverwood Trader is going to be back and better than ever!” he declared.</p><p>            “We never left, dear brother...” Camilla commented, shaking her head and climbing back upstairs.</p><p>            “You both have a goodnight now, unless there was something I could do for you?” the man offered.</p><p>            “No,” Felyndiira shook her head, “we just wanted to get that back to you.” She took the coin and figured she’d count it when she left.</p><p>            They left the trader and she eyed the inn, wondering if they should call it a night or just go straight back to Whiterun.</p><p>            “Think we can make it back? Not sure I want to spent three nights in a row there, it’s starting to feel like a pattern.”</p><p>            “Aye, they’ll start thinking that you’re a local. Or worse, they’ll offer you a house here.” Vilkas smirked. “If you go, I’ll follow,” he decided.</p><p>            She smiled at his joke and led the way through town to the bridge. They walked in silence to Whiterun, getting there late in the night or perhaps early morning, she wasn’t sure and her feet dragged a little by the time they got through the gates.</p><p>            “Where’s the inn? I need a bed...” she sighed and walked with her hands on her hips so she could support herself some.</p><p>            “Well, there are two options, the Bannered Mare that’s straight ahead or we can head over to Jorrvaskr, where there are also beds available,” the Companion offered. “All depends on how many stairs you want to climb.”</p><p>            She laughed lightly. “Trying awful hard to get me to go home with you,” she said and perked a brow at him.</p><p>            If it wasn’t for the many torchlights dotting Whiterun, Vilkas would have been able to hide the red hue on his cheeks. “It’s not like that.” He stated yet a grin slowly made its way onto his features. “You’d have a bed to yourself.”</p><p>            “Are you sure I’ll be allowed? I haven’t exactly agreed to joining yet...” she said. She was thinking about if she wanted to truly or not. The only reason she hesitated joining was because she wanted to go home. She needed to see her family before she made anymore decisions that could alter her life.</p><p>            Like sleeping with a nord. Or a falmer.…</p><p>            She winced and touched her mouth in thought. “I... uh, I’m going to go to the Bannered Mare,” she decided. “I’ll go to the Jarl in the morning and bring you your pay, if you trust me enough to sleep in your own bed tonight, otherwise you can get a room at the inn, too.” She realized he might not want to leave her until he got paid about halfway through talking, so she ended up rambling.</p><p>            “Fair enough, it’s right here," he stated with a nod. They had walked right to the inn. “Get some rest and we’ll see each other at some point tomorrow.” Vilkas stood there for a moment, biting his lip like he wanted to say more. “Goodnight, Felyndiira” he said and began walking home.</p><p>            She watched him go and sighed. “Goodnight, Vilkas…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Rewarded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira gets her reward, and then some.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            The next morning she woke up to the sound of singing. She slept in a large bed in the loft of the Mare and felt her stomach growl. She decided it was time to count her reward for the claw, get something to eat, then see the Jarl so she could pay her debt to the Companions.</p><p>            Felyndiira trotted down the steps, used a few of the hundred coins she got from the Riverwood Trader to buy some eggs and bread with cheese. She even splurged on a bottle of Honningbrew Mead. When she was finished she made her way up to Dragonsreach.</p><p>            The Jarl was not in his throne when entered the great hall, nor were any of his advisors in sight. However, Farengar’s voice could be heard in his workspace. Felyndiira walked in to see him talking to a woman with a hood hiding her face.</p><p>            “…Although the chance to see a living dragon up close would be tremendously valuable,” the court wizard was saying. The woman looked up, as if sensing the dark elf’s presence, not that she was trying to sneak around the place. “Now, let me show you something else I found very intriguing… I think your employers may be interested as well…. Hmm?” Farengar only then seemed to notice Felyndiira. “Ah, yes, the Jarl's protege! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow? And in one piece, it seems. Was the tablet there?”</p><p>            “Yes,” she answered and pulled the tablet out of her bag. It barely fit but she managed. “Here it is.” She offered it and glanced at the woman in the hood and leathers. She looked vaguely familiar. “Hope this gets you the information you’re looking for.”</p><p>            “Ah, yes! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! Seems you are a cut from a different the block from the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way.” Farengar marveled at the stone, taking it carefully from her and setting on his desk. “My associate here will be pleased to see your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me.” Then he turned to the woman, “So, your information was correct after all. And we have our friend to thank for recovering it for us.” He added.</p><p>            “You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work.” The woman nodded to Felyndiira. She turned her head to Farengar, “Just send me a copy when you've deciphered it.” With that, she left swiftly and quietly.</p><p>            Felyndiira thought she knew that voice. She frowned but shook her head, looking back at Farengar. “So, uh, what now?” She didn’t really want to ask for her reward, but she did want to get back to Vilkas as soon as she could. She didn’t want to give him a reason to doubt her paying him.</p><p>            “A good question. However, this is where your job ends and mine begins. The work of the mind, sadly undervalued in Skyrim,” he lamented. The wizard went to the tablet, immediately wanting to begin his work. He saw that Felyndiira had yet to leave, however. “Or perhaps, you were asking about your reward,” he said with a slight frown. “You'll have to see the Jarl about that. Maybe his steward, Avenicci. I'm sure one of them will pay you appropriately.”</p><p>            Felyndiira turned to leave.</p><p>            “Farengar!” Irileth came rushing in, startling both of them. “Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon's been sighted nearby.”</p><p>            Farengar beamed. “A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?”</p><p>            Irileth rolled her eyes exasperatedly at the wizard’s fussing. She caught sight of Felyndiira and went back to attention. “You should come, too. Come along, both of you!” She was out of the room before either of them could protest. “And Farengar, if I were you I’d take this a bit more seriously. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun I don't know if we can stop it,” she continued speaking despite the distance.</p><p>            Felyndiira followed, almost afraid of what would come. They climbed the steps to the platform behind the jarl’s throne. He was standing there, talking to a guard who was having trouble speaking between heaving breaths.</p><p>            “...so fast in my life...” the guard said. “It was just circling over the watch tower when I left.”</p><p>            Balgruuf nodded at the guard, “Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it.” The guard saluted and left. The Jarl turned his attention to his Housecarl. “Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there.”</p><p>            “I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate.” The dark elf responded.</p><p>            “Good, don’t fail me,” the Jarl stated. His blue eyes were intense and Felyndiira wasn’t expecting for him to turn to her so quickly with such a serious look on his face. “There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon.” Felyndiira didn’t even get the chance to speak in protest. “You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here. But I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the Dragonstone for Farengar.” The Jarl snapped his fingers and a servant was by his side in seconds with orders to retrieve her reward. “As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Avenicci that you are now permitted to purchase property within the city. Of course, you have the option to buy a steading to start a farm if that’s your wish.” The servant reappeared then, leaving Felyndiira wondering if there was a set place where Balgruuf kept all the rewards he would give people. “And please accept this gift from my personal treasury,” he said and handed a small bag to her. She opened it just long enough to see finely cut gemstones of many colors filling it.</p><p>            “Oh, wow,” she breathed and then glanced up at the Jarl. “Thank you, sir. But I don’t really know anything about killing dragons….”</p><p>            Jarl Balgruuf crossed his arms. “Felyndiira, I must be honest with you. No one here does either. You are the only one who has a first hand experience with dealing with a dragon. I need you there with Irileth to let her know of anything that could help our city, anything we can do that would have helped Helgen.”</p><p>            Sensing that maybe he could take her place Farengar stepped up to Balgruuf. “My Jarl, I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon,” he offered.</p><p>“No,” Balgruuf shook his head. “I can't afford to risk both and Irileth. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons.” The court wizard slumped his shoulders in disappointment.</p><p>            “As you command.” Farengar shifted his gaze to Felyndiira with an ‘I tried’ look.</p><p>            “Irileth, I want you and Felyndiira to know that this isn't a death or glory mission. I need to know what we're dealing with.”</p><p>            “Don't worry, my lord. I'm the very soul of caution,” the Housecarl stated in confidence with a puffed chest.</p><p>            “One last thing. Felyndiira, you do this for Whiterun, we will all be in your debt. You wish to go home, yes? I will secure you safe passage there without you worrying about having to spend a single coin,” the Jarl promised her.</p><p>            Her heart swelled at that. She would be able to pay back Vilkas and go home.</p><p>            As long as she survived the dragon again.</p><p>            “Yes, my lord, I’ll do my best,” she said and bowed. She turned to Irileth. “I have to make a stop on my way, I’ll meet you out there.” The other dark elf nodded and was off.</p><p>            Felyndiira hesitated only a moment before following suit.</p><p>            She made her way down to Jorrvaskr and pushed into the mead hall with some sense of urgency as she knew she needed to get to the watch tower. It was still relatively early morning, so she wasn’t surprised to see most of the hall sat empty. She searched around and saw Farkas.</p><p>            “Farkas! Where is your brother?” she asked, rushing up to him.</p><p>            “Huh?” Farkas was about to take a swig of mead before the question. “Oh, my brother should be down stairs talking to Kodlak. Finally going to join, are you?”</p><p>            She smiled at him. “Not today, I’m just here to pay him. Thank you.”</p><p>            Felyndiira rushed to the steps and went down into the basement. She figured Vilkas would be at the end of the hall like last time she came here since he was talking to Kodlak, so she made her way straight back.</p><p>            She found them in a well decorated room, sitting together.</p><p>            “Ah, we were just talking about you,” Kodlak greeted her.</p><p>            “Business with the wizard go well?” Vilkas asked.</p><p>            Felyndiira grinned at him and brought the bag over. “Yes, it did.” Then she realized what he’d said. “What about me?”</p><p>            “Your journey to the barrow, of course. I heard you performed well,” Kodlak answered with a smile. “However, I’m curious to see what you thought of his job performance.”</p><p>            “Vilkas was...” Felyndiira tried not to think about the way he took her against the word wall, “more than I expected.” She couldn’t lie to the old man. She smiled and shook her head, “I couldn’t have done it without him. I’m happy to have had him.”</p><p>            Then she opened the bag and offered him a sapphire and two rubies, unsure if that was enough payment, she added a garnet and amethyst as well.</p><p>            “Here’s some of what the Jarl gave me. He’s also ask that I join the guards,” she added, looking at Vilkas now. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking but she wanted him to know where she was going –that she might not come back. “I guess there’s a dragon out there and he thinks I can be of help.”</p><p>            Vilkas and Kodlak’s eyes widened at the gems. The old harbinger handed her the sapphire and garnet back. “The two rubies and amethyst are more than enough. Save the rest for the trip home and your family. Thank you for choosing us and giving a new story to fill Jorrvaskr with.”</p><p>            “Aye, Farkas won’t complain about being bored for a while,” Vilkas agreed. He stood up, stretching a bit. “Now where did you say you and the guards were going to fight a dragon?”</p><p>            “You guys are going to fight a dragon!?” Farkas exclaimed, his silver eyes flashing with excitement as he rushed into the room.</p><p>            “You know, Farkas, the whole point of eavesdropping is to not let people know you’re there.” Vilkas frowned at his brother.</p><p>            Felyndiira tucked the gems away and looked between the brothers. “Just outside the city, at the watch tower. I’m supposed to hurry,” she said and started for the door. For a brief moment, she hoped they would come but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.</p><p>            “So, we’re gonna fight it, right?” Farkas asked expectedly of Kodlak.</p><p>            The old man laughed in response, “Well, from what I’ve heard about them, they’re creatures capable of great destruction.”</p><p>            “And that would be bad for Jorrvaskr and Whiterun,” Farkas concluded, his brows coming together in serious thought.</p><p>            “Aye, very bad. So, what do you think we should do about it?” Vilkas asked almost rhetorically. The Companion gestured for Felyndiira to go ahead and start heading that way.</p><p>            “We gotta go fight the dragon!” his twin declared. Farkas immediately spun around and started running.</p><p>            “My brother is a genius,” Vilkas sarcastically stated with a smirk.</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled at him and shook her head, “I will admit, your company does make me feel better.” She followed Farkas out, keeping better pace with Vilkas as he came as well.</p><p>            “You thought I would turn down killing a dragon with you?” he asked her with a grin.</p><p>            She smiled at how he added ‘with her’ and tried not to think too hard about it. As they left Jorrvaskr they saw guards rushing by in tight formation. She led the way, sort of following and glanced at Vilkas. “The Jarl said he’d pay for my journey home if I got through this. Said I was permitted to purchase property here as well,” she added and looked at the bright white houses as she and Vilkas jogged by. Whiterun was so much... calmer than Solitude, even when they were running to fight a dragon.</p><p>            “Well now, it sounds like you’re halfway to becoming a Thane. What do you think of owning a house in Whiterun?” he asked but seemed to realize what he was asking. “Sorry, I suppose you’re more worried about just seeing your family again.”</p><p>            She gave a shrug and tried to hide her smile. “My intent was to move here if there was enough money in it, and so far I’ve made more money in the last day than I have in the five years leading up to getting taken by fal–“ she stopped herself, realizing what she was about to say and she coughed. They exited the city and she tried to seem busy looking out over the fields to the distance where smoke stretched toward the sky.</p><p>            He touched her arm, getting her to look at him. “Listen, my brother and I live in a place where people from all walks of life come in and ask for help, whether that’s through joining our group or hiring us for a job. We’ve heard just about everything. None of us are ones to judge because none of us are innocent.” Vilkas explained, pausing to make sure his words soaked in. “You know I want to ask you what you were about to say. I’m not going to, that’s your business. But I would like to think with what we just went through, that you can trust me, Felyndiira.”</p><p>            Her heart heaved at that and she wasn’t able to look at him. “Maybe after the dragon,” she said and swallowed hard.</p><p>            She wished it flew overhead then, attacked or something like it had in Helgen so she could think about something other than the nord by her side. She was starting to think there might be something there, but she was too afraid of the answer to even think of asking.</p><p>            They made it to the watch tower before she spoke again. The guards were combing the ruins for dead and supplies to be salvaged. One guard, half burnt to a crisp, was yelling that the dragon wasn’t gone for good but no one seemed to know where it could be.</p><p>            Felyndiira felt uneasy as she looked around, eyes stuck on the sky and heavy cloud cover.</p><p>            Farkas gave a low growl, “I smell it but where is it dammit?”</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced at the Companion, what an odd thing to say.</p><p>            “Easy, brother...” Vilkas said, unsheathing his skyforge sword. “Just get your weapon ready.”</p><p>            A roar erupted in the air.</p><p>            “Kynareth save us, here he comes again...” one of the soldiers trembled while pointing at the nearest mountain to them.</p><p>            Then there it was, emerging ominously from its cloudy camouflage.</p><p>            “Here he comes! Find cover and make every arrow count!” Irileth shouted out commands to her forces. Curses and prayers rang out among the guards as they got into their positions and began shooting their arrows.</p><p>            It flew in a great circle around them, as if boasting about its actions before perching on top of the lookout tower.</p><p>            “Come down here and fight, you coward!” Irileth taunted it, Felyndiira swore the Housecarl’s face becoming more the more the hue of her red hair with each shout.</p><p>            The dragon sucked in a breath and then threw its head forward, its voice turning to flames as it pour fire down on them. Felyndiira and Irileth were the only ones that hesitated in avoiding the flames, their hot flesh used to heat but dragon fire would still burn.</p><p>            Before she could decide to switch to her bow. The dragon took off only to land in the road with a great crash. Guards tumbled to the ground and some were scooped up by the dragon’s massive maw.</p><p>            Felyndiira ran up with the Companions flanking her. She used her axe and dagger in either hand, cutting and swiping at the large wing of the beast as it focused its head on the guards. It spit fire like men did curses and she realized she could understand the ancient words it spoke to make the flames.</p><p>            The brothers tore into the dragon’s wing with their great swords with such ferocity that it would impossible for the giant beast to fly with it. The dragon swiped the broken limb at them and roared in outrage.</p><p>            “Thuri du hin sil ko Sovngarde!” it shouted at them.</p><p>            The words muddled in her brain, like she was trying to remember something long forgotten. My overlord... devour souls... Sovngarde. She shook her head and took the wing square in her front, throwing her to the ground with a jolt. Felyndiira gasped and blinked several times.</p><p>            She couldn’t believe she was trying to understand the dragon. That was just crazy.</p><p>            Vilkas had gotten hit as well but recovered quickly. “Felyndiira, are you okay?” He went to turn to his brother, “Farkas, cover –<em>what are you doing on the dragon?</em>”</p><p>            Farkas had managed to climb on the dragon and stab it with his weapon but was now having a hard time getting the blade back from the monster.</p><p>            Felyndiira saw how the blade slipped between the scales and she looked at the head. She saw the way the weapons the guards used bounced off but she thought if she could get her dagger in behind the horns, like she did the draugr, she could take the dragon down.</p><p>            Without thinking, she was running for the dragon’s head. It was pouring fire down on Irileth who held up a ward to try to keep it back, her dark elven skin fighting back the fire while her leather burned away.</p><p>            Felyndiira leaped and landed on the neck. It felt her and immediately shook but she grabbed a horn and twisted so she could see the way the scales here overlapped. She quickly jabbed the skyforged steel dagger into the back of the dragon’s neck, between the scales, and into the spine.</p><p>            The dragon reared up and there was a flash of light so bright Felyndiira could only see white.</p><p>            “Dovahkiin no!” the dragon screamed as his scales picked up a glow and he twisted in on himself, dropping her to the ground when his head dove right for the ground.</p><p>            Felyndiira rolled away and watched as the dragon crumbled and the men cheered. She tried to recall what it said when it died but there was so much going on, she hadn’t caught it.</p><p>            The dragon’s body flopped limp and the glowing brightened, eating away the flesh under the scales, littering the grass with the brown and tan plates. The bones slowly exposed themselves, held together with dried tendon. The whole sight would have made her sick if the light hadn’t suddenly come right at her.</p><p>            Felyndiira barely got to her feet as the bright light swirled around her and through her. She felt it in every fiber of her being. Mirmulnir was his name, she understood it as Allegiance Strong Hunt. He had survived the hunting of dragons that drove them into legend and now he was defeated by mere mortals. He came out of hiding for...</p><p>            She closed her eyes to focus the knowledge. Thuri. Overlord. The black dragon from Helgen.</p><p>            She gasped and finally relaxed. Realizing someone was shaking her, trying to get her attention.</p><p>            “Felyndiira! Hey! What happened? Are you okay?” Vilkas’ hands were on her shoulders. He kept looking between the dragon and her, his eyes golden and wild.</p><p>            “Woah... That was... amazing.” Farkas breathed. Everyone else seemed to have the same reaction. Yet they all kept their distance from her. Even Irileth, who was by far one of the most daring people in the entire group, stayed where she was and looked at her fellow dunmer in disbelief and suspicion. All except, Vilkas.</p><p>            A guard stepped up to her. “You’re... Dragonborn… aren’t you?” he asked.</p><p>            Vilkas narrowed his eyes questioningly towards the man, “Dragonborn? What are you talking about?” Suddenly, the attention was on the guard, everyone seeking an explanation.</p><p>            “In the very oldest tales, back from when there were still dragons in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power,” the guard explained, shifting nervously from all the eyes on him. He looked at her, more to seek comfort for himself. “That's what you did, isn't it? Absorbed that dragon's power?”</p><p>            Felyndiira wasn’t sure. She gained some kind of knowledge from it when it died. But she didn’t know about <em>power</em>. How was power defined in this way? “I’m not sure,” she said and shook her head, looking up to Vilkas with a worried expression. What was happening to her? And why was it happening now?</p><p>            “There's only one way to find out. Try to Shout… that would prove it. According to the old legends, only the Dragonborn can Shout without training, the way the dragons do,” the guard explained encouragingly.</p><p>            “Shout?” Vilkas asked dubiously.</p><p>            “She can shout like a dragon now? Vilkas! Move! Give her space, I wanna see this,” Farkas instructed with a gesture for his twin to move out of the way.</p><p>            Vilkas sighed, “Really, Farkas? You too?” He stepped aside, however.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked between the guard and Vilkas. She shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted.</p><p>            She tried to think, to understand. She thought about the words she heard the dragon say to make fire, but she couldn’t remember that. Then she recalled the word in Bleak Falls. Force. Fus. She didn’t understand it before, but now she did. It was pushing against the world, forcing it away, out of her path.</p><p>            “Fus,” she breathed the word, but it was so much more than a word. Her voice resonated, shook the ground under her feet, and even though she barely said it, the sound came out loud and harsh and the air between her and twins wavered. Both men were pushed, staggered, and forced to take several steps back from her.</p><p>            Felyndiira stared in shock at them, her eyes wide in horror and amazement.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            The guards shouted and cursed between each other sharing stories they were told when they were young about ones called Dragonborn. Irileth protested, saying she never heard of such fancy tales being real. They swatted her disbelief away with the fact that she wasn’t a Nord.</p><p>            Even the twins were in different states surprise, Farkas seemed the more excited of the two with him shaking his stunned brother’s shoulder, asking if he just saw what he saw.</p><p>            “Yes, Farkas, I saw,” Vilkas stated as if he were almost in a daze. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Felyndiira.</p><p>            The guard who stepped up to Felyndiira before spoke once again after regaining his composure. “That was Shouting, what you just did! Must be. You really are Dragonborn, then...”</p><p>            Irileth pushed him away, ordering him back with the others, who were now investigating the dragon remains. She then turned to her fellow dark elf. “That was the hairiest fight I've ever been in, and I've been in more than a few. I don't know about this Dragonborn business, but I'm sure glad you're with us. You better get back to Whiterun right away. Jarl Balgruuf will want to know what happened here.” She nearly walked away but stopped, “Oh, I guess if you’re wanting to take some trophies it would be best to do it now.” The Housecarl gestured to the beast.</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced at the dragon bones and scales on the ground and nodded, they would be worth something, if not useful she was sure. She waited until Irileth went back to the men to turn to Vilkas. “Think I could carry the head up to the trader?” she tried a crack at a joke, hoping it would knock him out of whatever daze she’d put him in.</p><p>            “Yeah, I’ll help,” Farkas nodded and went to do just that.</p><p>            Vilkas snorted and gave a chuckle, a smile finally coming over him. “So, <em>Dragonborn</em>,” Vilkas shook his head in slight disbelief as he approached her. “That’s quite a title.”</p><p>            Felyndiira looked up at him, unsure of why her breathing was coming so quickly. She remembered the last time they killed something together and she realized how much she liked having him there when she did. It was so different with him than it had been when she was in Blackreach, killing, or even before, when she would just walk the streets of Solitude in her patched dress, trying to sell her farm’s goods to the merchant stalls for enough coin to feed their plow horse.</p><p>            And now she was something called Dragonborn, and a handsome nord from the <em>Companions</em> was looking at her like...</p><p>            Farkas grabbed the dragon by the horns and wrenched it sideways, breaking the neck away. “Heavy,” he grunted and started to drag it through the dirt.</p><p>            Felyndiira laughed and covered her mouth, unsure of what to do as she had been joking. “Maybe you can put it up in Jorrvaskr?” she said and looked at Vilkas. “You two did help kill it. I’ll just take some scales and bones and maybe see if I can make something out of it?”</p><p>            “I like the sound of that. They’ll be talking about that for ages, maybe long after my brother and I have gone to...” he seemed to pause for a minute, as if realizing something. “Well, wherever we’ll go when we get around to dying.” He shook his head of the thought. “Might take those scales and bones to Eorland if you’re wanting something nice and dangerous. I doubt he’s ever really gotten the opportunity to work with materials from a dragon. Before that though, it sounds like you have a meeting with the Jarl…again”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled at him. “Yeah, and a trip home to plan,” she added, tears coming to her eyes. It was finally happening. She was going to get to go home. This... Dragonborn business didn’t mean she had to give up going home. “I’m going to take the Jarl up on his promise to get me home, free of charge.”</p><p>            “Aye, you deserve that much from him and more. Don’t let him distract you anymore,” he agreed and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ve got to go help my meat-head brother with that skull before he hurts himself… or others. And if you haven’t gotten sick of our faces by now, stop by Jorrvaskr after you’re done with the Jarl.”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled at him. “I don’t think I could ever get sick of your face,” she said before she could stop herself. Her cheeks when violet and she stared up at him in shock. “I mean... I... thank you, Vilkas.”</p><p>            “Best not talk like that, people will start thinking you like me.” Vilkas smirked, though a hint of a blush could be seen on his face as well.</p><p>            “Yeah, he works hard at being an asshole!” Farkas shouted over to them with a laugh.</p><p>            Vilkas looked over at his brother with a twinge of annoyance. “Aye, I don’t know how I’m going to keep up with you, brother. You make being a dumbass look effortless.”</p><p>            “Hey!” his twin complained. He set the skull down. “You know what?”</p><p>            “What, Farkas?” Vilkas sighed.</p><p>            “I take it back, you’re just a dick!” The brother shouted. With a huff, he picked the dragon skull back up.</p><p>            Vilkas nodded with a mock frown. “Aye, I guess, I deserve that.”</p><p>            Felyndiira elbowed him in the side. “I think you’re all right. And not just because of your...” she glanced at his brother and wasn’t able to keep from smiling, “dick.”</p><p>            She thought about what he’d said about liking him, though and she swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what she felt about him. He was attractive and he helped her a lot but she didn’t know if she would be coming back to Whiterun and there was no way she could ask him to come to Solitude indefinitely just to see if things would work out between them. </p><p>            “Thanks,” he laughed lightly. “Anyway, I’ve got to get to work. I’ll see you at Jorrvaskr.” He looked at her for a moment, as if conflicted but decided on a nod and took off.</p><p>            Felyndiira walked over to the dragon while Vilkas helped Farkas carry the head back to Jorrvaskr. She distracted herself with looking at the scales she wanted to collect and picking out bones she thought could be used in something. Maybe an axe from the shoulder blade?</p><p>            Suddenly, the ground quakes and thunder rolled through the overcast sky. She whipped her head around and her sharp ears pricked when they heard the words in the thunder.</p><p>            “<em>DOVAHKIIN</em>!”</p><p>            She felt an odd swell in her chest, but she didn’t know what it meant.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>            By the time she got to the jarl, she was exhausted. The bones and scales were heavy, and she had the weight of thought keeping her from relaxing. She couldn’t stop thinking about going home and about Vilkas.</p><p>            She knew she needed to go home, but after that, she didn’t know what she’d do.</p><p>            “Good, you're finally here.” Proventus seemed to show up out nowhere as she was making her way across the hall. “The Jarl's been waiting for you. Come along.”</p><p>            “...what else could it mean? The Greybeards...” the Jarl was talking with a heavily armored man with a shaven head and a dirty blonde beard. They both noticed her and Proventus coming forward.</p><p>            The warrior looked between her then to the Imperial. “We were just talking about you. My brother needs a word with you,” he stated to Felyndiira.</p><p>            Balgruuf straightened in his thrown in anticipation. “So what happened at the watchtower? Was the dragon there?”</p><p>            “The watch tower was destroyed, but we managed to kill the dragon,” she said and shifted her weight. She didn’t think she wanted to open with the part about her potentially being Dragonborn. If she was, she wasn’t ready for whatever that meant, and if she wasn’t, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to have it taken from her yet.</p><p>            “I knew I could count on Irileth. But there must be more to it than that. How did you manage to defeat it?” he asked her in wonder.</p><p>Felyndiira shrugged and lifted the dragon slaying dagger. “Shoved this into the back of its neck while it tried to cook Irileth. And then it sort of... burned up? And I absorbed some kind of power from it. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m the one that killed it or not though,” she added quickly.</p><p>            “So, it's true. The Greybeards really were summoning you. You’re Dragonborn.” Balgruuf looked at her in amazement.</p><p>            Felyndiira stiffened and shook her head. “I’m not really sure about that. And who are the Greybeards?” She didn’t like the sound of being summoned.</p><p>            “Masters of the Way of the Voice. They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the World,” the Jarl explained and immediately knew she had more questions. “The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice: the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um, or Shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they can teach you how to use your gift.”</p><p>            “Didn't you hear the thundering sound as you returned to Whiterun?” the burly man asked. “That was the voice of the Greybeards, summoning you to High Hrothgar! This hasn't happened in...centuries. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned when he was still Talos of Atmora!” he asserted with wide eyes. The man’s war paint did nothing to make him look more civil.</p><p>            Proventus merely tsked and shook his head, “Hrongar, calm yourself. What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with our friend here?” He gestured to Felyndiira, who was trying to take in all this sudden information.</p><p>            “Nord nonsense? Why you puffed-up ignorant… these are our sacred traditions that go back to the found–” the man, known as Hrongar, looked as if he was about wring the balding Imperial’s neck.</p><p>            “Hrongar. Don't be so hard on Avenicci.” Balgruuf listed a hand to stop any further actions. His more tired than frustrated glare drifted to the advisor, who swallowed hard.</p><p>            “I meant no disrespect, of course. It's just that… what do these Greybeards want with her?” he asked more politely. Felyndiira was happy she wasn’t the one that had to ask.</p><p>            The Jarl merely shook his head unknowingly. “That's the Greybeards' business, not ours.”</p><p>            Which was remarkably unhelpful.</p><p>            He looked at Felyndiira now for a long moment. “Whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you, and the Greybeards heard it. If they think you're Dragonborn, who are we to argue?” He stood now, seeming to want a more level gaze with the dark elf. “I know you wish to go home and my offer still stands. However, if I were you, I would seriously consider traveling up to High Hrothgar as soon as you are able. There's no refusing the summons of the Greybeards. I doubt it’s a matter that will just go away if ignored. You should consider it a tremendous honor.” That somehow didn’t make her feel any better about it. “I envy you, you know.” He nodded, lost in thought. “To climb the seven thousand steps again… I made the pilgrimage once. High Hrothgar is a very peaceful place. Very... disconnected from the troubles of this world. I wonder if the Greybeards even notice what's going on down here. They haven't seemed to care before.” Then he sighed and looked her in the eyes. “No matter. Best learn what the Greybeards can teach you, if you’re willing,” he added, maybe because of the look on her face.</p><p>            Felyndiira bowed her head. “I have to go home. I haven’t been there in over a year,” she said and looked up at the jarl. “I may head their way after. But I have to see my parents, and I need their input on all of this, too.”</p><p>            The Jarl smiled softly. “I understand. As a father, I couldn’t possibly imagine having my children gone for so long without a word.” He cleared throat, “Now, for your reward. Felyndiira of Solitude! You've done a great service to me and my city. By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It's the greatest honor that's within my power to grant.” He made a few gestures to servants and waved a hand for someone to step forward. “I assign you Lydia, as a personal housecarl,” he announced as a brunette nord woman stepped up beside the Jarl, bowing slightly to Felyndiira. A servant came over, presenting a wonderfully designed Skyforge steel axe. “And this weapon from my armory to serve as your badge of office. I'll also notify my guards of your new title. Wouldn't want them to think you're part of the common rabble, now would we? We are honored to have you as Thane of our city, Dragonborn.” </p><p>            Tears pricked her eyes as she accepted the axe. It was steel and glowed with a magical enchantment. She would have to ask what it was.</p><p>            Then she looked to Lydia. She wasn’t really sure what she’d do with a Housecarl, but it would be nice not to travel alone for a little while.</p><p>            “Hello,” Felyndiira said awkwardly and then looked to the jarl. “Thank you for everything you’ve helped me with.”</p><p>            Balgruuf nodded with a smile. “Thank you for your great deeds for our city. Whenever you are ready, the carriage will be waiting for you outside the gates. They should already have word of their assignment but should they wish to see proof, hand them this letter with my seal and written orders. Now onward you go, Dragonborn.” The servant handed her a thick parchment.</p><p>            She thanked the jarl and turned to Lydia. “So, uh, do you come with me? Or...?” She wasn’t sure how to treat a Housecarl much less the duties of one. The lady looked nice though, pretty but in a natural way and dressed if heavy armor with a strong blade on her hip, and shield on her arm.</p><p>            “As my Thane, I'm sworn to your service. I'll guard you, and all you own with my life. I will follow you as long as you will have me,” she said almost as if she were practicing in front of a mirror.</p><p>            Felyndiira noticed the woman didn't offer a smile and simply stood there, waiting. Felyndiira cleared her throat and said, “We are going to stop at Jorrvaskr on our way out.” She then turned and started for the door. She wondered if Lydia was going to be pleasant company or not. Maybe she was just nervous about her first day as a Housecarl.</p><p>            “As you wish, my Thane,” Lydia responded dutifully.</p><p>            They both made their way to Jorrvaskr in the light of the setting sun, the moons were already climbing up into the sky. The Companions were gathered outside in the yard, marveling at the dragon skull in the yard, drinking and cheering. Farkas regaled the tale, running around the skull as he acted out each character with zeal.</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled, noting the scuffs on the jaw from Farkas dragging it before Vilkas could help. She hung back, searching the crowd for her favorite Companion but he was no where to be seen. She wondered if Vilkas was inside.</p><p>            She went to the doors and stepped into the near empty hall.</p><p>            The only ones in the hall were Tilma and an elderly man in fine clothes, talking about where they thought a good place would be to put the huge skull. Tilma noticed Felyndiira right away and brightened, “Oh! Hello, dear! Enjoying the celebration?”</p><p>            “Actually, I was looking for Vilkas. I’m about to leave and figured I’d say goodbye,” she explained and looked around. “Is he downstairs?”</p><p>            “Oh yes, dear, I think I saw him heading to his room after he and Farkas got back with the Dragon head. What a strange place to be on such a wonderful day.” She wondered for a moment. She shook her head of it and gestured for Felyndiira to follow her downstairs.</p><p>            Felyndiira followed with Lydia in tow. She wondered why Vilkas was tucked away instead of celebrating but she thought he might prefer his alone time now, since he didn't get a lot she imagined.</p><p>            Tilma led them downstairs, turning into a hallway with what seemed like only two rooms filled. One of them sounded as though a struggle was taking place just behind the door. Glass shattered, startling Felyndiira.</p><p>            “Oh dear, I hope he’s not making a terrible mess in there,” the old woman fussed. She knocked on the door. “Vilkas? You have a visitor,” Tilma called.</p><p>            “Go away! I can’t see anyone right now,” Vilkas snarled through the door.</p><p>            Tilma balked at his answer. “Are you sure, dear? It’s the cute elf girl,” she encouraged. The frail woman looked at Felyndiira with a tired smile. “You’ll have to excuse him, it’s that time of the month.”</p><p>            Felyndiira stared at the old woman with wide eyes. ‘Time of the month’? Vilkas was indeed a man, and she had no idea men had ‘times of the month’ unless there was more to it than just... well, blood. He’d seemed fine earlier, but now he was having some kind of issue?</p><p>            Felyndiira then realized Tilma called her cute when explaining who she was and she felt a blush coming to her ashen cheeks.</p><p>            “Fine… just… just give me a second,” the nord’s voice seemed forced.</p><p>            “What do you mean, ‘Time of the month’?” Lydia hesitated to ask with a slightly disgusted look on her features.</p><p>            “Oh, don’t think too much about it, sweetie!” the old woman chuckled to herself.</p><p>            The door opened, revealing Vilkas in a disheveled state. He had his fur underskirt on, but nothing else, not even a shirt or boots. His toned body was covered in sweat with his hands grabbing the wooden frame for support. His golden eyes landed hard on the group of women in front of his bedroom door. “Tilma, I gave it to you to give her–” the haggard maid interrupted him in a huff.</p><p>            “Now, now! Is that really the best you can do with company over? I thought I taught you better than that,” she nagged.</p><p>            “I told you when I came in, I needed to be alone,” Vilkas argued.</p><p>            “You know I was talking to Vignar. But, Vilkas dear, I keep telling you to just go out for a run at night like your brother and you wouldn’t have these... moments.” There was a silent stare down between the two of them, Vilkas clenching and unclenching his jaw as if wanting to argue with her. Or his teeth hurt. Tilma sighed, shaking her head and waved a hand to forget about it. “Aye, I know dear... anyway, I know you told me to give it to her but I got to thinking that I barely know the girl and that it would mean more if she received it from you,” the maid defended as though she were a mother consoling a disappointed son.</p><p>            Felyndiira stared between them. What were they talking about? Lydia looked thoroughly disgusted, and opted to take a few steps back. But Felyndiira noticed how she looked at the flexed muscles of Vilkas’ stomach.</p><p>            “What are you two talking about?” She turned to Vilkas. “I just came to say goodbye, I’m leaving for Solitude.” She watched his face, his reactions. His golden gaze settled on her, and when she said she was leaving she thought he frowned, but it was hard telling with his heavy breathing and screwed brow. “The Jarl named me Thane and gave me a Housecarl but I can’t stay, and I just wanted to say bye before I left.” She gestured loosely to Lydia and saw how his metallic eyes flicked up to the nord, then back to Felyndiira.</p><p>            Tilma took an item covered in cloth out of a pocket in her apron and handed it to Vilkas. “You should be the one to give it to her,” she insisted. Vilkas flinched back from it at first but reluctantly took it, holding it as if it were delicate, or dangerous. “Now, if you excuse me, I’m going back upstairs to continue my conversation with Vignar, if he hasn’t already left,” the old woman stated before turning and leaving. “Feel free to join the party, ladies, after you’re done with this grump.”</p><p>            Vilkas watched the maid disappear from sight, a slightly helpless look coming over his features. Then he looked down at the dark elf in front of him. “Um... here,” he muttered, moving to give it to Felyndiira. Lydia quickly stepped in front of her Thane to intercept the gift. The Housecarl opened her palm and narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn’t an outright glare, but her eyes scanned the nord suspiciously. Vilkas’ lip curled, showing his teeth and wrinkling his nose and then he looked at Felyndiira. “You suddenly need a guard in Jorrvaskr now?” he asked, his voice harsh.</p><p>            “Just protecting my Thane, sir.” Lydia stood her ground.</p><p>            “Lydia, stop, he’s fine.” She waited for Lydia to back up and she took the bundle from Vilkas gingerly.</p><p>            Felyndiira opened it slowly and her heart pounded when she realized it was a necklace. Bright, shining silver, and in the form of a dragon coiled up with spread wings and its tail pointed down. Its eyes were amethyst, bright purple, not unlike hers. She wondered if it was the amethyst he got in Bleak Falls.</p><p>            “Oh, Vilkas,” she breathed, looking up at him. “It’s beautiful!”</p><p>            “Aye,” he breathed, his features only slightly softening. “Figured you should have something to remember our adventure. Seems only more fitting now, considering the circumstances. It can be used as a dagger as well... should you get into a hairy situation.” The way he said it put more meaning behind it than she could discern.</p><p>            Felyndiira grinned down at it and nodded. “Thank you,” she said and immediately put it on. She let it settle on her chest. If she wasn’t wearing the leather it would rest perfectly so the tail barely reached the crease of her breasts.</p><p>            Then she smiled up at him. His eyes were more silvery now, his expression kinder. She stepped forward to give him a hug or maybe a kiss, she wasn’t sure. It was getting harder to say goodbye though.</p><p>            Then his hands gripped her shoulders to stop her, the hold almost painful. Vilkas shook his head, his expression pained. “Don’t,” he choked. “I can’t… we can’t,” he corrected with difficulty.</p><p>            “Look at his room... it’s a mess” Lydia whispered in astonishment.</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced behind him and saw his bookshelf spilled onto the floor, table turned over and broken glass. “What’s wrong?” she whispered. Then she looked at Lydia. “Go... wait outside.” She lifted a hand and placed it on Vilkas’ as it bruised her shoulder. She didn’t let it effect her.</p><p>            She looked up at him, into his eyes as they blazed gold, it wasn’t just the lighting. She took a deep breath and nodded, deciding she needed to tell him the truth if she expected it in return.</p><p>            “Before, when you said you thought I could trust you. I was just scared to tell you about... how the falmer took me when they attacked my caravan on my way here. I didn’t get to come here because of them and I lived there as a slave for the last year,” she explained, tears coming to her eyes. “I did... horrible things and I escaped and I finally came here and found you,” she said and squeezed his hand. “I know we just met and all but...” she tilted her head up at him.</p><p>            He trembled at her touch and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on what she had said to him. “Nasty creatures, falmer.. You are brave… and strong... and so much more than I ever would have thought from a random girl coming into our hall,” he chuckled yet the expression seemed sad and almost bitter. “What I would do to take it all back now,” Vilkas sighed heavily, his hands moving down to her biceps. He was much larger than her, and his hands were nearly able to wrap all the way around her arms.</p><p>            “Take what back?” She thought briefly it might be meeting her, going with her, but she didn’t think that was it. “Can I help you?”</p><p>            He shook his head. Opening his eyes, they were not so intensely golden anymore. “When I was younger and, to be quite honest, stupider, I thoughtlessly made a blood oath. Kodlak told me to think on it, that it would change the way I lived the rest of my life. Back then, I thought I knew what I wanted and so my brother and I participated in the ritual….” He growled in recollection. “My brother and I were infected with lycanthropy. It changes us, Felyndiira... into beasts.”</p><p>            Her heart stopped and she blinked at him. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what this meant. “That’s... why he said he could smell the dragon?” She recalled it and then thought about the way he beat that bandits corpse into a pulp. “And... why you lost control?”</p><p>            She touched the pendant and gasped.</p><p>            “Silver? To... to stop you?” Her breathing was coming quicker as she thought about everything and how obvious it should have been but now it just made sense.</p><p>            “I would like to think that I would never hurt anyone that I care for and I’m usually in control in either form,” Vilkas responded. He let go of her, taking a step back. “But then there are days like this, when I can barely ignore the call to hunt. That’s when... I usually just lock myself in.” The nord couldn’t bear to even look at her. “I can hear your heart beat and it makes my mouth water. I can smell the scent of your fear… of your…” he snarled and said, “desire. It drives me into this state. Like in the burial chamber, I couldn’t help myself, and I gave in just enough to keep from–” he stopped suddenly and swallowed hard, meeting her gaze now, “from feeding on you.” She stared up at him, her purple eyes wide. “I had that made when we got back,” he nodded to the pendant. “To keep you safe from me if I lost control around you again, but you won’t have to worry about that. You’re leaving.”</p><p>            For the first time since she left Blackreach, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go home. “I... I could stay,” she started but it didn’t sound like she meant it. Then she started over and said, “I wanted to come back.”</p><p>            “And you should. You’re a Thane of Whiterun now. That can come with a lot of perks, especially for your family. But this,” he gestured between them, “if there is anything between us, we can’t continue it.” He gripped the doorframe now, releasing her.</p><p>            Her heart sank, it sank so far down it felt like it was ripped out of her completely. “Because of...” she swallowed. She wasn’t sure if she should ask if there was a way to cure himself. Surely he’d have done it if he wanted to or could. It wasn’t right for her to pursue it if he wasn’t willing or able to. So, she nodded and touched the pendant. “I thought there could be something,” she told him, feeling like he needed to know. “But I understand, I’ll leave,” she said and started to back up.</p><p>            “Stay safe, Dragonborn,” he said, his tone flat. Then he closed the door.</p><p>            Felyndiira heard something smash and then a low, guttural roar as she ascended the steps to leave Jorrvaskr.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. On the Road</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On the road home, Felyndiira and her party meet someone they weren't expecting.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Felyndiira stared off at the horizon as the cart meandered down the cobblestone road. They were going west to the Reach before going north to Solitude at her request. She didn’t want to go north and risk being set upon by falmer again or see where she’d been taken. This way the worst they’d meet would be forsworn. She felt like that would be easier to deal with, especially with Lydia.</p><p>            And there were the four Whiterun guards escorting the cart to the boarder of Whiterun hold. After that, she hoped that the cart would be left to their travels as they didn’t exactly look like wealthy individuals, just simply armored passengers, and a humble driver.</p><p>            Lydia sat across from her, looking bored. Eventually, she looked Felyndiira’s way. “So...” the brunette started off. “Did you want to talk about it?”</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced at her and sighed. “I don’t know if there’s much to talk about...” then she huffed. “Actually, I think there’s too much.”</p><p>            “So, you’re saying it’s complicated? You sure you were dating a nord?” Lydia smirked.</p><p>            Felyndiira laughed at that and shook her head, but it made her heart hurt. “We weren’t courting. We... well I hired him to help me do something for the Jarl’s wizard and then we... sort of,” Felyndiira cleared her throat and shifted where she sat. She wasn’t sure how much she should tell Lydia, she didn’t know her all that well, and it wasn’t like they were friends. “Anyway, it seemed like there were feelings and there were but he... can’t do a relationship, at least not with me,” she added, wondering if he could be with someone that was like him.</p><p>            “Ah,” the woman nodded as if she understood. Then there was an awkward pause. “Have you considered courting... other elves?”</p><p>            “I,” Felyndiira started, thinking about what Lydia said and what she might actually mean. “I’ve never courted someone, I’ve been interested but I haven’t pursued and... well, I’m not sure what difference an elf would be,” she added, looking up at Lydia.</p><p>            The nord shifted, looking like she’d hoped Felyndiira wouldn’t read too far into it. “It may simplify things, is all I meant, my thane.”</p><p>            They were due to cross over into the Reach soon, they would have to set up camp, and Felyndiira hoped to do that before losing the Whiterun guards, so she shook her head and looked away from Lydia. “Keep an eye out for a good place to set up camp.”</p><p>            They found a spot to stop where the hills were spread out far enough for the cart, some tents, and everyone could fit off the road while still leaving a good line of sight in all directions. Lydia helped the team set up camp in no time. They soon were discussing their meal for the night.</p><p>            “What does the Thane of Whiterun think of a victory drink in her honor?” one of the guards asked.</p><p>            “Plenty of ale and mead. If you’re looking for something classy, we’re unfortunately carrying only two bottles of wine at the moment,” the driver announced.</p><p>            “Ale and mead is good,” Felyndiira said and took a bottle when it was offered. Drinks and bread passed around. There was a cheese wheel they sliced into as well.</p><p>            “You have first words, my Thane,” Lydia declared.</p><p>            Felyndiira lifted her drink. “To Whiterun!” she shouted with a smile. “And to killing a fucking dragon!”</p><p>            The others cheered with Felyndiira, lifting their bottles and tankards in the air with her. Even Lydia, who thus far hadn’t shone any sign of an outgoing nature, smiled brightly and responded with equal zeal at the cheers.</p><p>            The driver pulled out a lute and started to sing a song about the war. It got the men singing as well, and Lydia lifted her drink to them.</p><p>            Felyndiira on the other hand only smiled and took a long drink. “And to going home,” she said to herself, with a sigh. No matter what she felt, she was happy she was going home and was no more than a day away. She could nurse whatever feelings she had on the way, but she knew when she got back to her family’s farm, she would think about nothing other than her parents.</p><p>            They drank a little. Sang a lot. And eventually, they went to sleep. The Whiterun guards took turns on watch, allowing Lydia and Felyndiira to sleep through the night. At least, they would have if the guards hadn’t woken them with shouts and shakes.</p><p>            “Thane! Bandits coming our way!” he shouted in his thick nord accent. Felyndiira blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. She’d just been dreaming of word walls and wolves howling.</p><p>            Lydia was up in no time, sword and shield in hand. “What direction and how many?” she asked one the guards.</p><p>            “West. One coming in fast but three trailing behind them, horseback by the speed,” the man answered knocking an arrow and moving into formation.</p><p>            The housecarl stayed back between them and Felyndiira. “Do not worry, Thane, I’ll not let any of these low lives come near you.”</p><p>            Felyndiira blinked a few times, realizing what the nord had said. “Thank you,” she said, unsure of what else there was to say.</p><p>            She looked west, through the darkness. She could just make out someone running their way, lights in their hands. It did look like they were on horseback, but it also looked like they were running from those behind them. The pursuers held torches as well, but they were some distance behind the leader.</p><p>            Felyndiira asked, looking at the guard, “How do we know they’re bandits?”</p><p>            “My Thane, what else but bandits would be running up so aggressively towards us?” Lydia defended and looked back to the group fast approaching. The galloping of horses now evident in the air. “They’re not even slowing down!”</p><p>            “Halt!” shouted a guard as the one taking the lead was nearly on them. For a brief moment, Felyndiira was able to see they didn’t have a torch, but a fire spell in hand.</p><p>            "Not a bandit! Don’t shoot me!” the stranger yelled staying his course. It looked to Felyndiira like they might just run down the road past them. But the guard with the bow and arrow loosed it anyway.</p><p>            It hit the stranger in the shoulder, hard from the look of it as he was knocked off his horse and fell. A spew of Dunmeri curses followed after him. Some of the guards cheered, and they turned their attention to the three pursuers.</p><p>            “He said he wasn’t a bandit!” Felyndiira yelled and pushed past the guard with the bow. She knew those curses, and she knew that tone of voice, he was a dark elf, and her soft spot for her people pushed all hesitation aside.</p><p>            The horse raced by, Felyndiira sidestepped to let it pass, and went to the groaning dunmer. More horses raced her way, she looked down the road, seeing the black shapes in the dark. An arrow blazed by her and she put together these men were after the dunmer.</p><p>            Felyndiira straightened up, stared down the lead horseman, and <em>shouted</em>, “<em>FUS</em>!”</p><p>            It was very different when she forced it than when she said it softer, at least it felt that way to her. The result was similar enough. The air between her and the horses shuttered, and the horses were thrown back a step, but they reared up in fear, throwing their riders.</p><p>            The guards charged at the group. Lydia was quickly at Felyndiira’s side, “Good work, my Thane! But you could have left this to us.”</p><p>            The downed dunmer went to sit up but Lydia pointed her sword at him. In all fairness, the dark elf wasn’t outfitted in a way that would encourage kindness. His armor was hard chitin, it would have been pale pink with reds had the lighting been better, but right now he looked like creepy mudcrab-man. Felyndiira had never preferred the style herself, even bonemeal armor was better looking to her, but it was effective, and her people swore by it. This dark elf was just one of them.</p><p>            “Stay down, dog! My Thane has decided to take pity on your worthless life.”</p><p>            “Were you all just playing a game of tag with these arrows then? Why don’t you take care of the real threat, you s’wit!” the man sassed.</p><p>            Lydia snarled at him, gripping her sword harder. “Your orders, thane.” She looked at the guards handling the dazed bandits.</p><p>            “Who are you?” Felyndiira decided would be the first question. She didn’t want to instill too much trust in this stranger, as she wasn’t sure if he would end up being dangerous yet.</p><p>            “Teldryn Sero, mercenary, bandit survivor, target practice dummy, and currently a prisoner it seems.” He looked between Lydia and her for a moment. “Can I sit up now? Not much for being on my back unless I’m sleeping or having a good time, neither of which is happening right now.”</p><p>            “Ugh!” Lydia screwed up her face in disgust.</p><p>            Felyndiira on the other hand, smiled and nodded. “Lydia, let him up,” she said and looked at the arrow embedded in his shoulder.</p><p>            “All right, but I’m keeping my eye on you,” Lydia warned, sheathing her sword and taking a step back.</p><p>            “I’m Felyndiira Gah-Aka,” she introduced herself and offered him a hand to help him up.</p><p>            “Dragonborn and Thane of Whiterun,” Lydia added with a glare to the man on his ass.</p><p>            “Noted,” Teldryn stated with a nod. He waved her hand away and managed to get up himself. He watched the nearby struggle as the guards made short work of two out of the three bandits. The last one, seeming to catch on that he was doomed if he stayed any longer, and tried to flee. “Oh no you don’t, I’m done with these games,” Teldryn hissed and unsheathed a dagger with his good arm. As Lydia reached for her sword again and Felyndiira stepped out of the way, he chucked it at the helmetless man. The weapon spun through the air for a moment, disappearing into the darkness. And then they saw the dark form fall over and a dull thud reached them.</p><p>            “Good arm,” Felyndiira complimented. She was caught off guard by his cool demeanor, and the way he didn’t react to her titles. Of course, Dragonborn would mean little to a dunmer, as it seemed to be a nord thing.</p><p>            Which begged the question of why it happened to her.</p><p>            “Do you need help with that?” She gestured to the arrow in his shoulder. Most dark elves knew at least a little bit of magic, she didn’t want to assume he did though.</p><p>            “If you get the arrow out of me, I can heal it myself,” he requested. Lydia went to get it but the mercenary was quick to stop her. “Not you, I’ve already decided I hate you. It’s gonna be a while before I trust another nord,”he added.</p><p>            “Then go back to Morrowind where you come from you knife-eared–” the housecarl stopped herself. Her wide eyes flicked to Felyndiira. “Apologies, my thane. Unless you have any orders for me, I can go help the guards clean up the mess.”</p><p>            Felyndiira stared at Lydia for a second and the nodded. “Yes, I think that would be best,” she said and watched the woman stiffly join her kinsmen. Then she turned to Teldryn and sighed. “I’m sorry about her, I had no idea she’d be like that.” She lifted her hands slowly to address the arrow. “Maybe we go to the fire so I can see that better?” she offered then.</p><p>            The mercenary nodded and followed her. He carefully removed his crustacean helmet and set it aside before sitting beside the flames, running a hand through the dark locks of his mohawk. “Ahh... if it wasn’t for the arrow sticking out of my shoulder, I’d say taking this off after nearly a week of wearing it felt nice,” he said to no one in particular. He looked at her now that he had a clearer view.</p><p>            Teldryn had sharp features like most elves, but his grey skin was smooth despite his prominent, high arching brow. His eyes were hot, liquid red pools of crimson, absorbing the light of the fire instead of reflecting it. Purple tattoos curved up from his eyebrows around his eyes, and down his cheeks to disappear into the dark facial hair circling his full lips. She noted another tattoo that centered on his lower lip, and dipped down into his beard. With his head shaved to leave only a black mohawk, his face seemed long and narrow, suiting his tall, lithe frame, despite the chitin armor he was outfitted in.</p><p>            He gave her the same once over she gave him, though she knew she would be a far different sight. She’d stripped down to just her leather cuirass, which was loosely strapped to her, barely more than just cover. Her ashen legs stuck out, long and pale from all of her time down in Blackreach. Her feet, bare now, were hard and dark from neglect. Her arms weren’t much different from her legs, both muscled, but thin, boney, and her hands were only marginally better off than her feet. She’d pulled all her hair up into a quick, messy side bun so she could sleep.</p><p>            But now she knelt beside this stranger, preparing to remove the arrow her men shot into him. Gods above, nothing was ever simple for her.</p><p>            “I can imagine,” she finally said, and looked away from his face. She’d noticed how pale his skin was, too, going untouched by the sun, she imagined he rarely removed his armor. She wrapped her hand around the arrow and placed the other on his shoulder. “Brace yourself,” she said, noticing the blood staining the cloth of his armor already. The guard actually got lucky with his shot, and with the fact Teldryn seemed to be running <em>into </em>the arrow. Or perhaps Teldryn was that much more unlucky.</p><p>            The dark elf took a deep breath before his hand lit up in a golden light. “Hava hij en muga el (Go ahead and do it),” he said determinedly with a nod.</p><p>            She hesitated at hearing him speak their mother tongue, she hadn’t heard it in so long as even her parents rarely spoke it now. And then ripped the arrow out. Felyndiira winced and bit her lip at the grunt he made and swearing at the pain. She looked at the arrow and then tossed it aside, satisfied that the head looked fully intact. “I’m sorry,” she said instinctively.</p><p>            He activated his spell, and the wound started to glow and heal. “For pulling out the arrow or having your guards put it in me?” he asked, giving a bitter chuckle. Eventually, his face did seem to relax once the pain subsided and the wound closed.</p><p>            Felyndiira frowned. “I suppose the later. I don’t know why he fired after I told him not to.” She sighed. “Looks better now,” she said and gestures to it. “Is there anything we can offer you? As an apology, I mean,” she added and thought about the gems she had.</p><p>            He looked off into the expanse of land before him, suddenly looking very tired. The mercenary stood up and whistled towards the direction his horse ran off. He waited a minute and when he didn’t seem to get a reply, whistled again. After a moment, Teldryn sighed and walked back over to her. He seemed conflicted. “I don’t suppose...” he started but shook his head. “Nah, forget it...” the mercenary rubbed the back of his head. Yet he continued to stand there as if not sure what to do.</p><p>            Felyndiira tilted her head. “What is it? I don’t have a lot, despite what it may seem,” she added, looking at the camp with food, drink, tents, and plenty of guards. She was even armed and armored well, looking at the weapons and armor sitting beside her tent. Very different from how she felt. She still felt like the woman that just escaped from Blackreach.</p><p>            “My last patron and I cleared a ruined fort somewhere outside of Whiterun and when we got outside, we saw one of them galloping away on horseback.” He gestured to the bandits who were currently being dragged off the road by the guards. “Well, my boss, being the traditional bloodthirsty nord type, wasn't about to let him get away, so we pursued... on foot, for three days….” He paused, rubbing his eyes wearily. “We ended up tracking him to one of the largest bandit encampments I'd ever seen. You can probably guess what went down with bandits being bandits and a nord being a fucking nord…. That was two days ago and these assholes were basically doing the same thing as we had done to them, except on horseback,” her fellow dark elf explained. He took another look at her, as if expecting her to interrupt him. “I guess I’m asking if I could rest here tonight... at your camp.” He seemed to look somewhat relieved once he was able to get the question off his chest.</p><p>            She smiled widely. That was definitely something she could offer. “Yes, of course, here,” she walked over to the tent they’d pitched for her. “Go ahead, rest.” Her bedroll was softer and her tent was practically new, and she didn’t feel all the tired anymore anyway. The least she could do was offer him the best since her men shot him.</p><p>            He looked at the other tents and then to hers and raised his brow at her. “You, uh, sure your guard dog isn’t going mind me in there with you?”</p><p>            She snorted and covered her mouth. “I think I’ll stay up the rest of the night, actually, I’m not that tired,” she said and tried to get rid of her embarrassed smile. She made a point of sitting beside the fire and picked up a bag of bread. “Did you want to eat before you turned in? We have plenty.”</p><p>            “I suppose it would be rude of me to turn down such an offer from the Thane of Whiterun,” he replied as he joined her again, taking some bread. “So, I’ve told you my story. What’s yours?”</p><p>            Felyndiira took a bite out of her bread instead of answering. “Well,” she started, looking up at the sky. It was dark, but she thought she saw the start of morning trying to peak its light in the distance mountain tops. The moons were out, but clouds blocked most of the light from them. She looked at the guards walking around, some settling back down to sleep, while the others on watch talked to Lydia. Felyndiira was pretty sure the cart driver slept through the whole ordeal. “Well, I guess my story’s pretty short. I thought I’d be a farmer, was trying to make money that way when some falmer decided I’d make a good miner and harvester,” she said this with a lump in her throat, but she tried to sound like she was making light of it. “I escaped a couple of days ago and got arrested by some imperials because Stormcloaks helped me when I got out. I survived a dragon attacking just as I was about to lose my head at a chopping block,” she added and wet her lips, her lavender gaze locked on the fire now. “I went to Whiterun to tell the Jarl about the dragons, because the person that helped me out of the dragon attack asked me to. And then the Jarl asked me to help him, so I did. And then he asked for my help again, which involved killing a dragon.” She laughed a little, but it lacked humor. “But it wasn’t the one that saved me from losing my head,” she pointed out with a glance at him. She was doing a whole lot more talking than he had, yet he simply listened.</p><p>            The mercenary blinked his red eyes a few times while chewing his bread. He didn’t look like he fully understood, but he didn’t look completely lost. He finally swallowed, “That sounds more like a summary to a very long story but I feel you’re not even done yet. Manise (continue)” he stated and took another bite.</p><p>            She nodded and pressed her hand to her forehead. “When we killed the dragon I... absorbed some kind of power from it, and now the nords call me Dragonborn because I can shout,” she explained. “What I did to those bandits following you.”</p><p>            “What exactly comes with the title Dragonborn? Do the nords worship you as some kind of demigod or something? Half dunmer, half dragon?” He smirked at her, obviously trying to make her feel better.</p><p>            She smiled a little. “I don’t know yet, just found out today, but they wanted me to go talk to some old men locked in a tower up in the mountains and I just... can’t yet, you know? I need to go home, see my family.... I’ve been away for a while.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I feel like I’ve been out of that hell for as long as I was in it for all that’s happened since I escaped, but it’s been what? Four days? Five?” She shook her head.</p><p>            “Sorry to hear that... you’re on your way home now though, right? No weird old men locked in a tower?” he asked reassuringly. Then he blinked and shifted where he sat, taking a bite of bread. Maybe he wondered why he was trying to make her feel better, just like she wondered. It was nice, though, even Lydia didn’t supply this sort of support.</p><p>            It made Felyndiira think about what her housecarl had said about courting her own kind because it would simplify things. Maybe there was something to that, she was already getting on better with this stranger than she had with Lydia, and Lydia was sworn to her service.</p><p>            She smiled at Teldryn then. “Yes, I’m going home.” She relaxed some. She could have started her story with getting arrested for nothing but association since Teldryn’s life story only started five days ago, but she felt like he wouldn’t judge her for any of it. He seemed... kind, despite the mercenary occupation. And she couldn’t help but feel a strong pull to him while surrounded by these nords who were obviously suffering from prejudice even when they didn’t realize it. Lydia alone had said things to Teldryn and she had to stop herself because they also applied to Felyndiira.</p><p>            Teldryn smiled slightly. “I assume home’s not in Morrowind, if you’re this far west. Markarth, then?” he asked as he took the last few bites of his bread.</p><p>            “Solitude, actually,” she said and glanced at him. “I wanted to take the west route, fewer falmer, at least in my experience,” she explained and offered him an ale. “It’s not sujama, but it’ll warm you.”</p><p>            “Oh don’t worry about my preference of drink. I had to get used to having this stuff around because of my last employer.” He accepted the drink and raised it slightly with a nod, “To going home.” The dunmer drank and breathed a comforted sigh, refreshed by something to drink.</p><p>            She smiled at that, feeling some of the ache in her chest subside. She didn’t want to think about Vilkas, but she wondered how different this conversation would be with him. He’d been honest when she told him what happened to her, he told her what had to be his biggest secret, and yet… she was still left alone, well, without him.</p><p>            “Is that where you’re going to head then, too?” she asked, trying to distract herself. “Home, I mean.” She took a sip of her own drink and then realized she was probably keeping him awake. “I’m sorry, you probably want to go to bed and I just keep talking.”</p><p>            He shook his head and gave her a crooked grin. “It’s fine, campfires have a tendency to do that.” He thought for a minute and nodded. “I suppose I don’t really have a choice. The only reason why I came to Skyrim in the first place was because the nord paid me to come with him. Now he’s dead and I’ve got nowhere else to go but back to Raven Rock.”</p><p>            “I hope you managed to get paid,” she said, suddenly realizing that a dead employer might mean he was left with nothing to show for their efforts.</p><p>            “I get paid before travel,” he said with a nod. “I’m there to keep my employer alive and to help them out when there’s more than they can handle. But I’m not a miracle worker, and when foolhardy nords start rushing massive bandit camps, not even I can keep them alive.” He sighed and took another drink. “Of course, if I stick around for a long time, not just one mission, like I did with the nord, I usually just take a cut of the spoils along the way.”</p><p>            Felyndiira thought about what Vilkas had said about those that took payment before the job was done, and she wondered what he would think of Teldryn and how he operated. She frowned and decided she wanted to change the topic.</p><p>            “How long have you been away from your family?” she asked curiously. He said he’d traveled with the nord for a long time, she wondered just how long. Surely if he had family at home he wouldn’t leave them for too long without returning, but everyone was different, she didn’t want to project her feelings.</p><p>            “Don’t have a family, julihn aln (innocent one). Just myself,” he responded, taking another drink. He seemed fine with that, and the reference to her innocence only made her flush. She supposed it was innocent to assume that everyone had a family.</p><p>            She nodded, understanding. “So, what waits for you in Raven Rock?” she asked, with a lifted brow.</p><p>            “I’ve established a couple of roots there. It’s become somewhat of a home in a sense.” He explained with a shrug. “What of Solitude? What’s waiting for you there?” he asked and glanced at her. His crimson gaze rolling over her as he added, “Husband and children on a farm I’m guessing?”</p><p>            “No, just my parents,” she said and shook her head. “Was planning on building my own life when I left them, as long as I could sustain it. But now I’m here, going back.” She tried not to feel like it was some kind of defeat. It wasn’t like she’d failed at going out on her own.... But she sort of did.</p><p>            He looked around her, surrounded by guards of a major city and a Housecarl. The he looked at her, the leather guarding her torso. “Seems as though you’re doing well despite what’s happened to you,” he commented. “I understand, though. If my parents were still around, I suppose I would have more of a reason to go back to my home city.”</p><p>            “This is all thanks to others,” she said, touching the armor and looking at the guards. “I hired the help of a Companion to do what the Jarl asked of me, and all this is because of what the Companions helped me achieve, the awards weren’t given to me because I did it, but because I was there when they happened.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I should let you get to sleep, you said you’ve been running for five days, you deserve some rest,” she said and gestured to the tent.</p><p>            He looked as though he had a response to that but simply nodded and finished his drink before heading to the tent with his chitin helmet. “Well, if you’re ever needing more assistance with being rewarded by just being in a place, let me know. The best swordsman in all of Morrowind is at your service... for the right price,” he said to her before closing the tent.</p><p>            Felyndiira spent the rest of the night watching the fire and staring up at the sky as light seeped into it. A few times she thought she saw a dark shape moving around in the shadows beyond the light of their fire but it was probably a deer or fox.</p><p>            But once she thought she saw a falmer, creep into the dark brush.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira finally makes it home.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            When streaks of light stretched across the land and started to touch the camp, the guards started to load things into the cart and on their horses. Felyndiira helped to keep herself busy, Lydia did as well, still she hadn’t said anything but dutiful acknowledgments to the she-elf since her dark elf comments to Teldryn.</p><p>            Woken up by the movement no doubt, Teldryn emerged from her tent stretching the sleep out of his limbs.</p><p>            Lydia stopped what she had been doing and made a beeline straight to him. The dark elf stiffened when he caught sight of her. “Soften your stride, ball buster, you look like you’re about to kill someone.” Lydia stopped in front of him and pulled an elven dagger out. The mercenary’s hand shot out instantly and caught her by the wrist.</p><p>            “You want your dagger back don’t you?” she growled at his touch but didn’t move to free herself. She turned the blade over, presenting the hilt to him. Teldryn seemed surprised at the gesture and released the Housecarl’s wrist.</p><p>            “Thanks,” he said simply and took the weapon. Lydia merely nodded and walked away.</p><p>            Felyndiira stared at the exchanged, tensed up until he took the weapon back. Then she turned to Teldryn. “So, I was thinking...” her gaze flicked to the guards that were all but ready to depart. “It’ll just be Lydia and me with the cart from here on out. And you mentioned you were up for hire...” she wasn’t sure why she was beating around the bush like him turning her down would upset her. He was just a mercenary, and if he didn’t want to help her, then he wasn’t looking to get paid.</p><p>            He raised a brow at her, looking somewhat surprised. He sheathed his dagger and looked at his helmet in thought. “Five hundred and you’ll have swords, spells, and all the other tricks I have up my sleeves at your service,” he offered her with a nod. </p><p>            Five hundred was a lot, even the Companions started at only a hundred. She had no way of knowing if he was worth that much, or what all that money entailed.</p><p>            “My Thane,” Lydia said, glaring at the mercenary. “We don’t need a sellsword, we will be fine. Save your coin for your family.”</p><p>            “I just want to get back to them safe, and I...” Felyndiira hesitated, the image of the caravan guards being cut down flashed before her eyes. There had been more guards than they had now, and it didn’t matter. “I don’t feel like you can give me the safety I seek, not alone,” she finally said to Lydia and turned to her bag. She picked up the pouch and looked through the gemstones. “I don’t have gold, but I’m sure this will be fine, it’s easier to carry at least,” she said and pulled out a sapphire and a ruby. “I think this should about cover it.”</p><p>            He carefully took the gems, slipping off a glove to inspect them.</p><p>            “Those came directly from Jarl Balgruuf’s personal treasury. We can assure you they’re genuine.” Lydia crossed her arms. She was flushed red, from embarrassment about what Felyndiira had said or from anger at Teldryn, it was impossible to tell.</p><p>            “Never met the man,” was all the mercenary said in response. Weighing the payment and observing their colors in the light, Teldryn eventually gave a satisfied nod and placed the sapphire and ruby in a pouch. “Consider me hired, boss.”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled, pleased. She wasn’t offended he checked the gems, she hadn’t, but that was something she just realized she probably should have once she was away from the Jarl. She figured she could look them over later –when Lydia wasn’t within ear shot. “Perfect,” she said and clapped her hands together. “We should be able to get through the Reach and make it to Solitude by nightfall.”</p><p>            “If you’re all set, we’ll take our leave, Dragonborn,” one of the guards said, coming up and bowing respectfully.</p><p>            “Thank you for your service.” She looked at each of the men and then turned to her small party when the guards left. “Looks like it’s just us now.”</p><p>            “Let’s be off, then” Teldryn said, placing his chitin helmet on. He climbed up front with the driver. Lydia frowned at him but reluctantly nodded in agreement, offering Felyndiira a hand to get on the cart.</p><p>            Felyndiira took the help and climbed into the cart. The day ended up being bright and Felyndiira wished she had a book, but thankfully the cart driver was one for talk. And eventually he got Teldryn to sing a dunmer song, which Felyndiira warmed to like she was already home.</p><p>            “Have you ever been to Morrowind, boss?” Teldryn asked to pass the time, gazing over the land and the snow covered mountains. Whether he was looking for potential threats or appreciating the scenery, none of them knew.</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled some and nodded. “When I was very young, I only have a few memories. My family lived under the Redorian rulers, but they came to Skyrim as a fresh start when my father lost his arm in a bandit raid on our farm. They got a good deal on some land outside Solitude, near the marshes, and... we found out why it was so cheap when the crops barely grew,” she added with a sigh.</p><p>            His head perked at that. “I also lived under House Redoran... in Blacklight. I suppose your parents got tired of all the intrigue. I know I did, that’s why I left for Solstheim. Though, life there didn’t turn out much better.” He was silent for a moment after that. “I don’t know whether to admire or pity your parents. How anyone expects to grow anything in this ash-free soil is beyond me.”</p><p>            Lydia scoffed. “The fact anything can grow in <em>ash</em> is amazing.”</p><p>            “It acts as a nutrient,” Felyndiira explained. “Some things grow better there. My mother makes the best ash yams I’ve ever tasted...” she smiled at the memory when she spoke and then quickly added, “Of course, the only other person who’s offered it to me had no idea what they were doing.”</p><p>            He chuckled, “I think every mother claims to make the best ash yams.” They went on talking, comparing and contrasting their traditions growing up. Hours quickly went by on the ride to Solitude.</p><p>            “I had no idea that dark elves had such a culture...” Lydia commented with raised brows. “The celebrations and holidays almost sound similar to ours.”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled but before she could speak an arrow wizzed by and struck the cart driver in the back. The nord cried out and fell over, into Teldryn.</p><p>            “Forsworn!” Lydia roared and grabbed her shield.</p><p>            Felyndiira ducked down into the cart for cover. She grabbed her bow and an arrow. She had no idea where the forsworn were.</p><p>            The cart driver groaned, letting her know he was alive, at least for now, but she couldn’t see anything beyond Lydia hovering over her. “Stay down, Thane!”</p><p>            “Hang in there, friend.” Teldryn encouraged, his hands filling with sword and fiery spell. “Where are they?” he asked Lydia, who pointed off to the distance.</p><p>            “Four, two approaching, two bows,” she stated and knocked away an arrow with her shield.</p><p>            “I‘ll try to make this quick.” The mercenary jumped off the cart and summoned a flame atronach that quickly glided over to the archers. Teldryn drew his dagger with the flaming hand and charged at the fur clad people with both his blades.</p><p>            Felyndiira tried to move but Lydia was positioned so she couldn’t stand up without toppling the nord. She wasn’t sure why she felt like she needed to help, but lying there made her shake with so much fear she just couldn’t keep her head down anymore.</p><p>            “Lydia, move, I’m helping,” she ordered and the nord reluctantly shifted away.</p><p>            “Be careful, Thane.”</p><p>            Felyndiira loosed an arrow at the closest forsworn. It was easy to hit it because he was so close, it stuck in his chest but he didn’t stop. He didn’t even stagger.</p><p>            “Briarheart!” Lydia cried in warning.</p><p>            Felyndiira leaned out of the cart as the man got within feet of them. “<em>FUS</em>!” she <em>shouted</em> the man and he stumbled back.</p><p>            Teldryn had already taken out the other forsworn that came their way, though his attention had shifted to the archers rather than the Briarheart.</p><p>            The mercenary’s flame atronach had already charred its first victim and wasn’t slowing down for the next one as the fiery maiden lobbed yet another fire bolt, this one settling itself inside the archer’s chest but only for just a second as it lit the forsworn up like some macabre lamp.</p><p>            Felyndiira dropped her bow and grabbed the axe the Jarl gave her. She still didn’t know what the enchantment was, but she figured now was the time. She leapt down from the cart, her axe swinging at the Briarheart. The axe slashed across his chest, and immediately the wound caught fire. It spread over the Briarheart like magic, and then it was gone, but it left behind blistering wounds and the Briarheart roared in anger, throwing his two axes back at Felyndiira.</p><p>            “My Thane!” Lydia jumped out right after her, landing in a squatting position only to spring right back up and charge the forsworn, shield first.</p><p>            Teldryn whistled over to his flame atronach and pointed to the Briarheart.</p><p>            Felyndiira stumbled back when a fire blast hit the Briarheart in the back and propelled him into Lydia’s shield. She lifted her sword and brought it down on him.</p><p>            Lydia shoved back the forsworn to see the wound she dealt remain open but not bleed. It was like a walking corpse, it took wounds like something that didn’t feel. And it continued to spin its axes around in deadly arcs.</p><p>            “Get away from it!” Teldryn shouted at the women. The flame atronach wrapped its arms around the Briarheart torso, searing and blistering the skin. The flames of the spell seemed to brighten and became more erratic around its horned head.</p><p>            Felyndiira stumbled back away from it, but she knew the fire wouldn’t hurt her as badly as her Housecarl.</p><p>            Lydia quickly put herself between the fire and her Thane, much to Felyndiira’s surprise. The dark elf woman barely managed to pull the woman back from the burning Briarheart as an explosion burst from the flame atronach.</p><p>            Lydia was knocked back into Felyndiira who barely managed to keep them upright. They looked at the bits of forsworn burnt and thrown haphazardly about.</p><p>            “Damn,” was all Felyndiira managed.</p><p>            “Everyone alright?” the mercenary called out, walking towards them. Lydia looked to the place where the Briarheart used to be then to him.</p><p>            “You-you could have killed us!” she shouted in outrage.</p><p>            “Yes, that’s why I told you to get back,” Teldryn responded flatly.</p><p>            “B-but!” she tried you argue.</p><p>            “Did you die?” he asked in conclusion.</p><p>            Lydia opened and closed her mouth a few times, only to sigh and look at Felyndiira. “Are you okay, my Thane?”</p><p>            “I’m good, that was good thinking, Teldryn. I’m sure Lydia forgot dark elves have a similar liking to fire that her people have to cold.” She glanced at the nord. “Next time there’s fire involved, please don’t stand between me and it, that’ll only get you killed faster than me. At least I can withstand it for a moment,” she said with honest concern for her Housecarl.</p><p>            “I... yes ma’am.” She nodded.</p><p>            Teldryn made his way back to the cart that had finally came to a stop, to check on the driver. “How are you holding up over here?”</p><p>            “I’m breathing...” they heard the man groan. The mercenary nodded, climbing back up on the cart.</p><p>            “Don’t suppose any of you know how to heal others do you?” he asked them. “Otherwise it’s going to be a rough day for our driver.”</p><p>            Felyndiira frowned and shook her head. “I only know how to heal myself....” She went up to the cart and rummaged through their supplies. “Maybe there’s a healing potion? Does anyone know anything about alchemy? There was a mountain flower that had healing properties wasn’t there?”</p><p>            “I have a potion in my bag but... I was wanting to save it in case something happened to you, my Thane,” Lydia mentioned, climbing up and digging through her supplies. She handed the concoction to Felyndiira.</p><p>            “Thanks but I’m giving it to the driver,” she said and went to the front of the cart. “Here,” she said and came up to the driver to offer it to him.</p><p>            He took it and Felyndiira looked to Teldryn.</p><p>            “So, flame atronach, huh?”</p><p>            “You like that? Comes with the swords and the other tricks up my sleeve,” the mercenary told her while making sure the arrow was out of the driver’s back before the man drank the potion. “Speaking of flames, did I see an enchantment on that axe of yours?”</p><p>            “Yes, it’s the Axe of Whiterun. The Jarl gave it to me as a badge of office,” she explained and offered it up to the dark elf for his viewing. “I like it. I think I’ll sell my iron one, I don’t think I need two. I don’t think I’ll duel wield.” She picked up the dagger then. “Well, maybe with this.”</p><p>            He turned it in his hands, an impressed whistle coming from his helmet. “Nice,” he complimented, “doesn’t shine too brightly or hum too loudly.” The dunmer handed it back to her.“It never hurts to have a parrying dagger if one doesn’t want to get weighed down by heavy shields.” He shrugged, “No offense, Housecarl.”</p><p>            “None taken...” Lydia responded. She watched the driver take his time getting up and taking deep breaths as the potion worked through his body.</p><p>            “We should check the dead for anything that can be useful,” Felyndiira pointed out. “Then we can get moving.</p><p>            They searched the forsworn and found some alchemy ingredients as well as some gold. Then they found the stash of sacks and boxes the forsworn had taken from other carts they held up. They picked through those supplies, fresh foods and drink as well as more coin and even a pair of small glass gauntlets.</p><p>            “These are nice,” she complimented and tried them on. They actually fit really well, and after she adjusted the straps around her forearms, she was able to wiggle her fingers and move her arms around comfortably. “They fit too,” she said, amazed.</p><p>            “Not a bad haul for some beast people.” Teldryn commented, gathering the supplies for the cart.</p><p>            “I heard stories that some of them sleep with hagravens.” Lydia added, nose wrinkling at the forsworn bodies lying around.</p><p>            The mercenary merely shook his head as he put the last sack in the cart. “Gross…. Anyway, that’s all of it, boss.”</p><p>            Felyndiira thought about the look both of them made about the hagraven comment, and wondered what they’d think of what she did with a falmer. Surely, that wasn’t the same thing... falmer used to be elves just like Teldryn and her but she knew what they were now and only sighed, her mood shifting dramatically.</p><p>            “Yes. Let’s get going,” she said and went to the cart. She gave the coin they found to the driver because he frankly earned it and huddled in on herself as they got going to Solitude. She thought they’d pass through Dragon’s Bridge within the hour.</p><p>            “Is there something wrong, my Thane?” Lydia asked her. “We’re getting closer to your home. I would have thought you’d be getting happier with how close we are?”</p><p>            Teldryn tilted his head lazily to listen.</p><p>            “I’m fine,” she lied and tried to force a smile. “I’m excited to come home, I guess I’m just worried that... something has changed since I’ve been gone. Things were bad when I left. The farm was losing money and my pa was... sick with stress.” She sighed and shook her head. “I suppose I’m also nervous.”</p><p>            “Imagine their relief when they see you alive though,” the Housecarl offered with a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>            “I don’t think that‘s the point of her stress,” Teldryn commented, crossing his arms.</p><p>            Lydia eyed the mercenary in annoyance. “I’m just trying to be optimistic for her,” she argued. “Is that so wrong to you?”</p><p>            “It is, especially when we don’t know what to expect when we get there. How long did she say it was? A year? Much can change in a year,” he explained as a matter-of-factly. A long silence went over the group. “I’m just saying, we shouldn’t be optimistic or pessimistic about the situation. It always ruins the reality of the situation.”</p><p>            Felyndiira actually smiled at him. He was so different from Lydia it was almost comical. She did appreciate his point of view, though. He was right, and as nice as it was to have Lydia trying to make her feel better, it didn’t change the fact that she had no idea what she was coming home to.</p><p>            They passed through Dragon’s Bridge, eating some of the food they picked up on the way. The driver wasn’t in the mood for songs anymore it seemed, as he kept quiet and only really spoke when prompted.</p><p>            Solitude came into sight as they came around a hillside a few hours later. The city on the arch was a black silhouette with the bright light of the low sitting sun reflecting off the water behind it. And to the east Felyndiira could see the marshes. Her family’s home was just over there…</p><p>            “So that’s Solitude? Home of the East Empire Trading Company, heartless bastards...” Teldryn muttered.</p><p>            “Agreed. Skyrim belongs to the nords, if you ask me.” Lydia nodded, looking to the city.</p><p>            “We don’t have to,” the mercenary replied. “Although, wasn’t Skyrim originally inhabited by elves? I’m sure they would heavily disagree if they could.”</p><p>            “And what elves are those and where are they? I haven’t seen them try to argue with the Jarls of Skyrim,” the nord woman argued, narrow eyes settling on the male elf. Teldryn snorted and tried to unsuccessfully contain a laugh, his shoulders trembling with the struggle as shook his head. “What?” she asked with a raised brow.</p><p>            “Nothing, you’re absolutely right. Skyrim should go to the nords. They’ve certainly shed enough blood over it,” Teldryn replied.</p><p>            Felyndiira ignored the two, her eyes locked on the farm down passed the stables. It looked deserted, and that scared her. “Driver, I’m going to walk from here, thank you,” she said and started to pack up before addressing the others. “I think something’s wrong,” she explained without looking at them.</p><p>            “Okay, thank you all for... saving me back there,” the driver said, bringing the horse to a halt so that they could better depart.</p><p>            Teldryn jumped down from the cart, looking at her and then the property. “That it? Looks like it hasn’t been touched in a while.” He picked up a bag of supplies to help with the load. Lydia hopped off with what she could carry and offered Felyndiira a hand. Her blue eyes squinted in confusion.</p><p>            “Thanks,” she said and took the hand to soften her landing. “Yes. That’s it down there.” She picked up a bag and started down that way. Her heart pounded in her chest and she couldn’t think about anything but getting down there and seeing what had happened to her family farm.</p><p>            “Right behind you, boss,” her fellow dunmer said.</p><p>            They slowed some when they reached the property and made their way to the farmhouse. The plot where the crops would have been looked like it had been unattended for months with tall weeds the only green life. No animals were in the pens and the gates sat open. The hay in the stable was thin and soiled, old. The house, a small thing, sat without a sound coming from within. It looked cold and alone.</p><p>            Felyndiira hurried up to the door and tried it but it was locked. She had lost her key long ago, she wasn’t even sure if it made it to Blackreach with her. She went to a window and tried to look in but the curtains were drawn and the windows were grimy.</p><p>            Her breathing started coming rapidly and she dropped her pack to run around to the back of the house. She would kick in the back door if she had to. She needed to get inside and see if there was nothing to tell her what happened.</p><p>            “My thane,” Lydia called out to her but hesitated, unsure of what to do.</p><p>            “Go get her... I’ll knock on the door just to be sure.” Teldryn instructed. He took off his chitin helmet and ran his hand through his hair. “<em>N’chow</em>... (Damn)”</p><p>            Lydia ran to get Felyndiira and shouted when she heard the first bang on the back entrance, “Thane, you can’t just do that! Maybe we can ask someone….”</p><p>            Teldryn could be heard knocking on the front door. No one came to greet him.</p><p>            “This is my family’s farm, Lydia, I have to know what happened,” she said and kicked the door hard. The backdoor was always weak, her father kept a chair in front of it at night to support it and keep someone from making it in at night without them noticing. It gave way to her kick easily but still sent a shock up her leg and hurt her joints. She hissed but limped inside.</p><p>            “Ah, we’re just breaking in now...” Teldryn said from the other side. “Don’t unlock it, I’ll just come around.”</p><p>            “We shouldn’t be in here...” Lydia whispered more to herself than to Felyndiira. Teldryn came in a few seconds later, looking around the inside.</p><p>            “Not much in here, what are we looking for, boss?” He asked.</p><p>            He was right. The room was stripped of anything of worth and the only furniture that remained was the beaten down table and chairs in the middle of the kitchen.</p><p>            “Anything that would say where my parents might be,” she said and opened the door to her bedroom.</p><p>            It was just as she left it, her bed half made and her book on her nightstand. Her closet wardrobe hung open because the doors never latched correctly, and her window was still cracked ever so slightly to let in the night’s cool air in a vain attempt to keep her room from getting stuffy. There was a layer of dust over everything so thick it looked like dirt. Her parents hadn’t been here since she left it seemed. Even the rest of the house looked like it had more recent activity.</p><p>            Teldryn checked her parents’ room. Felyndiira could hear him opening the nightstands, only to close them again. Then he opened the wardrobe and there was silence. “<em>Almsivi binthi bar eam</em> (Tribune look over her),” he sighed. He walked over to her room, looking at her as if he didn’t really know what to say. “There are clothes still in the wardrobe in the next room. Men’s clothing...”</p><p>            Felyndiira rushes out of her room, by him, and into her parents’ room. He was right. Everything in the room that remained were things of her fathers. His shoes beside the bed and his journal in the windowsill. Felyndiira ran to it and picked up the leather book. It was stiff from disuse and she quickly flipped it open to the last entry.</p><p>
  <em>            “We got word on Felyn’s caravan today. It was attacked by falmer with no survivors. I knew it was too dangerous a trip, I can’t believe I let her go alone. Those guards were as green as a budding leaf, I knew they wouldn’t be able to protect her. I just wish I could have convinced her not to go...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>             Braena cried herself sick. My heart can’t go on much longer. Without Felyn here, I’m not sure how long we can keep the farm. I told Braena to look for an apartment in the city, somewhere cheap, but I fear we’ll end up with the beggars.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>             I’m going to try to work up the crops, make them look nice and full, and we’ll sell the farm. That will get us a good price, I think.”</em>
</p><p>            And that was the end of it.</p><p>            “My father... I think he...” she stopped speaking and gripped her chest. Her heart ached.</p><p>            “Sit down for a second, Felyndiira,” Teldryn instructed softly. “I’ll keep looking. Just take a second for yourself.”</p><p>            “My Thane, I didn’t find –wait, what’s wrong?” Lydia came into the room and frowned at both of them.</p><p>            Teldryn shook his head and waved her off, “Just keep looking.”</p><p>            Felyndiira took a seat on the edge of her parents’ bed and shook her head. “We won’t find anything. We should go to the city... ask around...” her voice was little more than a broken whisper and it cracked a little at the end.</p><p>            She looked up at the things left. There was only one reason that her mother’s things would be gone and her father’s weren’t and she didn’t think she could say it, or even think it, just yet. She wasn’t ready to break down, not yet.</p><p>            Teldryn sat next her, placing his helmet on the floor. He put an arm around her and parted his lips as if to say something but nothing came out. And so he closed them. He didn’t have any words for her. What would they be if he did?</p><p>            “Of course, ma’am…. If you wish, I can gather some of your things from your room.” the Housecarl offered. Teldryn looked at the nord, silently thanking her.</p><p>            “Thanks,” Felyndiira said and sniffed hard. “Leave the dresses. I should have a few pairs of riding pants and some comfortable shirts. And I’d like my book off the nightstand.” She swallowed hard and tried to relax, so she ended up resting her head against Teldryn’s chitin shoulder. Lydia left the room and she whispered, “This is all because of me. I was supposed to save them, and now they’re….”</p><p>            “Stop it,” he turned his head to her with a harsh frown. His features softened however, not meaning to be that way. “Things happened that were out of your control. If you knew you were going to be captured by falmer, would you still have gone?” he asked.</p><p>            “Of course not,” she said, sitting up to look at him. “And if I hadn’t, I’d be with them, wherever they are.”</p><p>            Her fellow dark elf sighed, his red eyes searching her lavender ones. “All that you have done thus far has been for your parents, has it not? Your trip? Your escape? Your deeds, whether done by you or not, for Whiterun just to get a ride home?” he asked to make a point. “You can’t sit here and blame yourself when you have done everything that you possibly can with them in mind. Half the parents of Tamriel probably wish they had a child as dedicated as you. Oblivion knows my mother would have been saved a lifetime worth of headaches.”</p><p>            Felyndiira looked into Teldryn’s crimson gaze and saw his sincerity. She nodded. “Thank you, Teldryn...” she said and sighed. Standings she stretched and rubbed her face. “Okay, we should go up to the city, see if we can find anyone that may know where they are.”</p><p>            “Lead on then. I’ll see if she’s done gathering your things,” he said with a nod. He picked up his helmet, dusted it off, and left the room. “Hey, Housecarl, are you done yet?” His voice could be heard.</p><p>            “You can call me by my name, you know,” Lydia responded in annoyance.</p><p>            “I know that,” he said.</p><p>            “So, you’re intentionally not saying my name?” she asked, baffled by him.</p><p>            “Sure, let’s go with that,” the mercenary agreed.</p><p>            “What do you mean ‘let’s go with that’? Do you seriously not know my name?” her Housecarl became even more irate.</p><p>            “I never got it, calm down,” he defended. “Probably a bitchy name like… Lydia or something –<em>ow</em>!”</p><p>            “Very fucking funny, asshole. Did you come up with that on the ride over here?” she growled.</p><p>            “Oh shit, was I right?” He laughed before another thump noise erupted from the room. “<em>Ow</em>! Stop it and get her shit would you!”</p><p>            Felyndiira smiled despite herself. She knew Teldryn had to be putting on an act for her but she appreciated it. She took her father's journal and went into the main room of the house. A small fireplace sat beside the front door and the table took up the middle of the space. She’d never realized how small it was until she’d spent so much time away from it. Blackreach’s dwemer ruins were massive compared to this and Whiterun didn’t help with the grand halls of Dragonsreach and Jorrvaskr. She’d always wanted to get a bigger place for her family, but now she really appreciated the dream more.</p><p>            “We should try the inn. The Winking Skeever would be the first place they’d go for a place to stay if they couldn’t stay here,” she explained.</p><p>            “As you wish, my thane. I’ve got your things and we’re ready when you are.” Lydia said as she and Teldryn came out from the room with a bag.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Solitude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira and her party go to Solitude to search for her mother.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            They made their way up to the city but Felyndiira stopped on the road next to the stable. "Is that...?" she breathed and ran over to the paddock where several horses grazed. One was an old, grey mare with a black mane and tail. "Ashier!" she called. The horse lifted her head, mouth full of grass. She looked well, her bones no longer showing.</p><p>            The mare trotted over and nuzzled Felyndiira, looking pleased to see her.</p><p>            “Your mother must have sold the property and the animals to get a place in the city,” Teldryn reasoned. “You want to ask the stable hand? They may have more information.”</p><p>            She nodded and made a beeline for the stables where some workers were. She caught the attention of one and the woman put her shovel aside to dust off her gloves.</p><p>            “Need to buy a horse? Got a couple for sale,” she said as Felyndiira came up. The horsewoman gave her a once over and offered a grin. “Looks like you need an adventurous one, got a stallion that won’t back down from some wolves if that’s something you’re interested in.”</p><p>            “Actually, I was wondering about that grey farm horse,” Felyndiira said and jabbed her thumb in the direction of Ashier.</p><p>            “Ah, that one I got a little while back from a local farm owner. The husband passed away and the wife sold the whole thing,” she said nonchalantly. It felt odd to hear other people talk about your family without realizing. “When I got her, she was skin and bones. Unfortunately, I find her useful around here and she’s getting old. I think I’m gonna hold onto her if that’s all right.”</p><p>            “What happened to the woman that sold her to you?” Felyndiira asked.</p><p>            “Moved into the city, I think. A man was with her when she sold the stuff, think he was trying to help her out.”</p><p>            “Do you know who he is?”</p><p>            The woman shrugged. “Might have been a shopkeeper in the city, couldn’t tell you. Bet he had an interest in the farm if he was helping her out though. Unless she had something else to offer him….” The woman sighed and shrugged. “So, about that stallion?”</p><p>            “Perhaps another time,” Felyndiira said and backed up to indicate she was leaving the conversation.</p><p>            “To the Winking Skeever, you said it was called? Haven’t been to an inn in over a week,” the mercenary mused thoughtfully.</p><p>            “Ready to drink yourself under a table are you?” Lydia turned her nose up.</p><p>            “Ready for a bed,” he corrected. “Come on, I’m tired of standing around. Waste of five hundred gold.”</p><p>            They headed up the hill to the city. Felyndiira wasn’t aware she was crying until Lydia asked her if she was going to be okay. She wiped her eyes and shrugged. “I just need to find my mom,” she said, defeated.</p><p>            Going through the gates, Lydia and Teldryn’s gazes rolled over all the buildings that lined the torch lit streets.</p><p>            “Wow, this place is... amazing,” Lydia marveled. “How do you differentiate all the buildings? They all look the same.”</p><p>            Teldryn kept his thoughts to himself. They found their way into the Winking Skeever, it was near the gates, making it convenient for travelers.</p><p>            “Welcome to the Winking Skeever, friends! Come inside, we have food, drink, some beds even,” a red headed man bid them in. He was human and older, with a thick mustache and a smile meant for customers.</p><p>            The place itself, was dim but cozy with dark walls and a range of people sitting at tables. She and her party went to the innkeeper at his counter. He cleaned glasses as he looked at them. A dark haired man stood nearby. He lazily looked them over, he couldn’t have been much older than Felyndiira, making him younger than the barkeep, and she got the feeling they may be related.</p><p>            “I was wondering if you knew Braena Gah-Aka,” Felyndiira asked the red haired man.</p><p>            “Know her? I’m married to her, darling. What are ya? A sister, friend, or something?” he asked her with a chuckle. “Thought I would have remembered a beauty like you from the ceremony.”</p><p>            “She’s her daughter,” Teldryn growled with crossed arms.</p><p>            “Sir, you stand before Felyndiira Gah-Aka, Thane of Whiterun, and Dragonborn,” Lydia presented with a puffed chest.</p><p>            The bartender snapped his eyes at Felyndiira again. “That’s impossible, you died in a caravan attack.”</p><p>            “I’ll go fetch her,” the young man stated and disappear.</p><p>            “My caravan was attacked,” she explained. “I was taken prisoner. I only just escaped a few days ago. I came as quickly as I could,” she was saying but there was a crash nearby if something dropping and breaking and then hurried footsteps. Felyndiira turned around to see her mother rush up.</p><p>            She looked like Felyndiira in almost every way, but her eyes were dark red and her black hair had started to silver by her temples. Where Felyndiira wore hers long, her mother had cut hers short, framing her face in neat wisps. She was somehow smaller than Felyndiira, shorter and thinner even though she looked as though she had been fed better than when Felyndiira last saw her –and that Felyndiira hadn’t recovered from the time she spent in Blackreach, but that would just take time. But seeing her mother healthy and alive made her feel much better, easing weight off her shoulders.</p><p>            Then the ache of her father’s death came back. Tears sprung to her eyes and she threw her arms out and rushed for the other dark elf woman. “Ma!”</p><p>            “Felyn! Yi hla'jul edur amuhr (my baby is alive)! How –where?” Her mother burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Felyndiira, sobbing.</p><p>            “Yes! Yes! Reunited at last, Breana would you and your daughter retire to a room somewhere. We don’t want to concern the customers,” the imperial suggested.</p><p>            Breana dried her tears quickly, “Y–yes, of course Corpulus, dear. Come with me, sweetie,” she told Felyndiira, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter’s face.</p><p>            Felyndiira shot a glare at the man but followed her mother out of the room. They ended up in a large bedroom that was roughly the size of the farm house’s main room. It was furnished with heavy furniture and well lit with candles dotting the space.</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced over her shoulder to see Lydia waiting just outside the door. She wasn’t sure where Teldryn was. She turned back to her mother and wiped tears from her own cheeks as she saw more rain down her mother’s.</p><p>            “Ma,” she whispered and hugged her again. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left….”</p><p>            “Shush now, don’t worry about that. All that matters is that you’re alive and you’re here in my arms again.” Her mother’s hug tightened around her. “I don’t know how you’re still alive but I thank Almsivi that they have not left me alone in this world,” she sighed, kissing Felyndiira’s cheek. Braena pulled away from the embrace but placed her hands on her daughter’s hands. “Come, let us sit. I want to hear how you’ve come back from the dead to return to me.”</p><p>            Felyndiira sat beside her mother but tears still streamed down her cheeks. “It was falmer, the we’re on us before the guards could do anything. The carts were put to the torch and... and one of them got me before I could get away. They took me and some others down into an underground dwemer city where we were used as slaves,” she explained and wiped at her face furiously. “I, uh, I got one of the falmer to trust me. He was an outcast and I thought he would be an easy target. When he let his guard down when we were alone while out foraging, I made my escape. But it took me so long... and now pa...” she sniffled when she mentioned him and rubbed her face again. “What happened to him?”</p><p>            “Oh dear, your father...” her mother blinked away a few tears. “You know he was never in the best of health. His condition only worsened when we thought we lost you. One day, while he was working in the fields, I came out with food for him and... I saw...” she put her hand to her mouth as more tears trailed down her cheeks. “He was laying dead in the field. His hand... stretching out towards the house like he was calling to me an–and I just didn’t hear him! I... I...” she gasped as she broke into sobs.</p><p>            Felyndiira wrapped her mother tight in a hug and cried with her for what felt like a long time. She didn’t know what to do or think and she couldn’t get the pain in her chest to ease even as the sobs ripped through her.</p><p>            Eventually, her mother straightened, got a handkerchief from the bedside table, and started to wipe all their tears away. Felyndiira sniffled and blew her nose a few times.</p><p>            “So much has happened,” she shook her head and looked up at her mother as she spoke. “When I escaped I was arrested by imperials because Stormcloaks helped me. And then a dragon attacked right when I was nearly executed.”</p><p>            “Stormcloaks? They helped you?” her mother asked in both terror and disbelief. She relaxed however and smiled softly at the thought. “But I suppose, anything is believable these days with the war, and now it’s a proven fact that there are dragons about.”</p><p>            “They’re huge, mother,” she said and smiled some in fascination.</p><p>            “How did it save you?” she asked, looking confused.</p><p>            Felyndiira explained how the black dragon had attacked, allowing her to escape, and then she told her mother about Hadvar, and how he got her to Riverwood. Then about having to go to the Jarl to warn him of the dragons, and then how Balgruuf asked her for help. Then she explained how she hired Vilkas to help her with the ruin and her mother’s expression turned skeptical. She seemed to have the same opinion of nords as she always had.</p><p>            Felyndiira went on to describe the barrow and then the word wall at the end. How it spoke to her in Dragon Tongue, though she didn’t understand it all until later when she killed a dragon. Her mother nearly fainted at that part, but she recovered and asked questions about it that Felyndiira tried to answer. They also talked about her going to the Grey Beards –which her mother didn’t think was a good idea with how far away and disconnected they were. Felyndiira also got the feeling her mother wanted her to stay there in Solitude with her and her new husband.</p><p>            Eventually, Breana asked about Vilkas, and where he was.</p><p>            “I started to think of him as a sort of friend after everything,” she admitted, but then looked down at her hands. “But he explained that wasn’t possible.” Then she sighed and looked up at her mother. “He’s back at Whiterun.”</p><p>            She looked at the dragon necklace. “That’s pretty, matches your eyes.”</p><p>            Felyndiira had all but forgotten the necklace. She looked down at it, touching it thoughtfully. “Yes, Vilkas gave it to me, he had it made....” She swallowed hard. “He gave it to me when he said we needed to separate.” She cleared her throat. “I think... I think I had hoped he would stay with me. I wanted you to meet him... for pa to meet him. I thought he might be a good match for me after we got to know each other,” she admitted and then rubbed her eyes.</p><p>            “Oh?” her mother lifted a brow and looked at her daughter’s expression, her eyes softening. “Oh... honey, I’m sorry,” she said, wrapping her arms around her again. “I’m sure he was a nice sort if you liked him that much. At least he left you with a parting gift. I know that’s not much of a positive when you’d rather have the person but it is something to remember your time together.”</p><p>            She nodded and sighed. “Thanks mom...” she said and then tilted her head. “So... that man down stairs... he said you were married?” Her brows lifted high. “He doesn’t seem very... kind.”</p><p>            Her mother sighed. “I apologize for him. He is a kind man, just cares a lot about the business. When I thought I lost you both, I couldn’t take care of the farm. It was back breaking just with the two of us. Corpulus was there for me when I had no one. He had contacts that could help me sell the property and give the animals good homes. I visit Ashier every once in a while at the stables.”</p><p>            “I saw her. I asked the stablehand about her. That’s sort of what led me this way. She looks healthy. I know it was hard for us to feed her.” She sighed and stood up. “Is Corpulus treating you well?” She wanted to make sure her mother was safe as well as cared for.</p><p>            “He’s not your father, if that’s what you’re asking but he takes care of me.” She responded. “I’m sorry you had to find out like that. I wish I would have been able to be the one you first saw. I’m sure this was a lot for you to take in all at once.”</p><p>            Corpulus entered the room at that moment. Felyndiira wondered how long he’d been there but guessed Lydia wouldn’t have let him eavesdrop too long. “Hey ladies, I’m sorry to interrupt you. I just wanted to apologize for shooing you out the room like that. It’s not everyday a dead relative comes back from the grave.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “I would like to introduce myself. I’m Corpulus Vinius, owner of the Winking Skeever and uh, you’re step-father,” he introduced, holding out a hand.</p><p>            Felyndiira shook his hand and offered a smile, though she was sure it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I appreciate what you’ve done to help my mother. I don’t know what I would have done if I came home and... and she wasn’t here, it’s already a lot,” she added and sighed. “I’m Felyndiira, you know that. The nord with me is Lydia of Whiterun, and the other dark elf is Teldryn Sero, they helped me get here.”</p><p>            “Yeah, real lively bunch they are. Don’t think I’ll be able to forget an introduction like that. Thane of Whiterun? Dragonborn? Sheesh,” he commented. “Your mercenary friend is downstairs enjoying a drink, regaling my son about his time in Morrowind,” he smiled a bit. “I hope he doesn’t go filling that boy’s head with too many ideas of leaving. I’ve gotta have someone inherit this place when I retire.”</p><p>            “Are you sure you won’t consider Minette? I’ve never seen a girl so devoted to learning about different ales and meads. I think she has great potential,” her mother suggested.</p><p>            “Hah! A girl running a bar? Don't be ridiculous, Braena. Running a bar’s no job for a young lady,” Corpulus shook his laughing. Her mother frowned at that.</p><p>            Felyndiira mirrored her mother.“If a woman can be a Thane why not?” And then she added, “And of course there’s being Dragonborn…”</p><p>            Corpulus shook his head and sighed, “You misunderstand, I want the best for my little girl but…. Well, you see…. It’s complicated. It’s just not proper. You know what? It’s not like I’m retiring anytime soon, let’s just forget about it.” He waved the discussion off. “It’s good to meet you, Felyndiira. Will you be staying in Solitude now that you’re back?”</p><p>            Her mother looked at her as well, seeming to have the same question.</p><p>            Felyndiira opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself. She... wasn’t sure. This wasn’t what she expected. She thought she’d come home to her parents needing her and now....</p><p>            “I’m not sure. Where would I fit in?” She glanced at Corpulus. “I don’t know anything about inns or alcohol...” and then she shifted and added, “and I have that summons from the Grey Beards, and I don’t know what to do with that.”</p><p>            “Well, we could always use another serving girl,” the Imperial said with a wide smile and chuckle.</p><p>            “You want the Thane of Whiterun to serve food and drinks to your customers?” Lydia stepped inside the room with crossed arms and a knitted brow. She made no attempt to hide the evident scowl on her lips.</p><p>            At that point, Teldryn had appeared in the doorway but seemed to decide not to add to the group of people inside the space. He had two bottles in his hand as he just stood there silently.</p><p>            Corpulus looked at Lydia with wide eyes as if not sure how to proceed with the conversation. He must not have been expecting anyone to be opposed to his idea. “I, uh...”</p><p>            “I just got hired today. I would like to think that I’m not already done with my job. Though, I suppose that’s your decision, boss,” Teldryn finally put into the awkward silence.</p><p>            There was that. She had paid him five hundred gold worth of gemstones. Roughly. Felyndiira nodded. “I think I should at least see about these Grey Beards. The trek to the Throat of the World can’t be easy, the Jarl mentioned seven thousand steps....” Her nose wrinkled at the thought. No cart was taking her up that. Maybe she should buy that stallion at the stables.</p><p>            Lydia squealed in excitement, a smile suddenly spreading across her face. “We’re actually going, Thane?” she asked eagerly.Everyone stared at her for a second. “Sorry, sorry, I’ve always wanted to take the pilgrimage up the Seven Thousand Steps.”</p><p>            “Really? You just got here.” Breana turned to Felyndiira. “At least stay the night. We have so much to catch up on. Is this really what you want to do, dear?”</p><p>            “We’ll stay the night, and we can put together supplies and leave in a couple of days once we’re ready.” Felyndiira said and glanced at her companions. “If that’s all right with you two.”</p><p>            “Sleeping on a bed for a change sounds nice,” Teldryn agreed.</p><p>            “As you wish, my Thane,” Lydia put in, a smile still brightening her features.</p><p>            “By the way,” the mercenary pointed to Corpulus, “your son needs you at the bar. He has no idea what he’s doing and it shows.”</p><p>            “Wha–? Why would you tell me this now and not when you got up here?” Corpulus sputtered.</p><p>            “I was waiting to see if that one was going to hit you or not,” he responded with a nod towards Lydia.</p><p>            The red headed man looked at him horrified. “And you weren’t going stop her?”</p><p>            Teldryn shook his head and snorted. “That’s not my job.”</p><p>            Corpulus’ face turned red, evidently annoyed as he looked as if he was considering on arguing with the dark elf. “I –you know what? Never mind, I need to get down there.” He turned quickly to Braena, “Your daughter is welcome to stay however long she needs but these two hooligans need to pay. Come now, move aside, I can’t keep customers thirsty!” He bumped past Teldryn, whose eyes flared in irritation at the Imperial.</p><p>            I’ll pay for your rooms,” Felyndiira said and picked up her gem bag. It was down to an amethyst and garnet. Her nose wrinkled and she looked at her mother. “Is there any work that needs done that could pay for the rooms?”</p><p>            “I think Sorex had a delivery that needs done,” her mother said and looked at the mercenary and Housecarl. “Perhaps if you do that, Corpulus will forgive the room charges? At least for a day or two...”</p><p>            “That shouldn’t be hard,” Felyndiira said and looked at her party to get input.</p><p>            “I can pay for myself but I won’t turn down the opportunity for a free room,” Teldryn commented.</p><p>            “Wherever you go, I’ll follow, my Thane,” her Housecarl nodded.</p><p>            “I’m sure Sorex will be more than happy to not have to deal with it himself.” Her mother said.</p><p>            “We’ll talk to Sorex then,” Felyndiira decided. And then hugged her mother again. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with her while they were in Solitude.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Job</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felyndiira tries to earn a little gold so she can go to the Throat of the World.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter got a little long, hope you all don't mind, it's twice as long as my usual goal but I didn't really want to cut it off anywhere, so I found where I felt a natural end was.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Sorex was more than happy to give them his deliveries and put the money toward their rooms. Felyndiira became aware that Lydia really had no money of her own as she was now completely reliant on Felyndiira. She said she had some, but like the health potion, it was kept close and meant for emergencies. She had planned to feed herself through hunting and fishing as well as gathering and collecting water. She didn’t want to be a burden, but seeing as her job was to serve Felyndiira, there was no getting around her lack of income until Felyndiira could afford to pay her.</p><p>            “I appreciate you letting me stay,” Felyndiira told Corpulus and her mother the next morning at breakfast. The inn had a few people but not the dense amount that came at night.</p><p>            “Of course, dear, anytime,” her mother said with a platter of food in hand for some customers.</p><p>            “If having you around means I can see my wife smile like this everyday, then feel free to stay here,” Corpulus said. He seemed genuine as he watched Breana walk by. “So, what’s on today’s agenda for you lot?” he asked, turning back to them.</p><p>            “I’m going to check the stables for a good horse, maybe two so we can all three travel quicker,” she glanced at Lydia and Teldryn. “I’m sure it won’t be cheap, might have to do another quick job or two.”</p><p>            Sorex shifted and chewed on some bread. “I know a guy...”</p><p>            “Not this again,” Corpulus immediately snapped, his mood dropping.</p><p>            “What?” Sorex asked defensively. “I’m just saying, if they’re looking for a quick job I know someone who’s looking. He came to me yesterday before they showed up….”</p><p>            “What guy and what kind of quick job?” Teldryn asked, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He had been the last of the group to wake up and it showed with the tousled hair of his mohawk.</p><p>            “His name’s Jaree-Ra, he’s an argonian. He and his sister do jobs locally sometimes,” Sorex was saying when his father cut in.</p><p>            “He’s a no good, scale-back troublemaker that will get you all arrested,” Corpulus seethed through his teeth.</p><p>            “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Sorex said and pursed his lips thoughtfully. He looked like he thought his father was exaggerating.</p><p>            Felyndiira frowned though, she wasn’t sure if she trusted either of them and figured that the truth lied between the ideas of this Jared-Ra being legitimate and shady. She didn’t have enough coin for horses and their care, and she knew Breana and Corpulus wouldn’t be able to afford it –even if they could she wouldn’t ask, she’d rely on them volunteering it themselves, which they hadn’t. Getting to the Grey Beards was her next objective, but to get there they needed to be able to travel quickly, and walking through Skyrim wasn’t quick. She guested she’d have to ask the guy what the job was and see if it was something she was willing to do.</p><p>            “I guess we’ll go find out for ourselves, right boss?” Teldryn asked, drinking his coffee.</p><p>            “Now wait one second,” Lydia chimed in, “what do you mean arrested? Do these jobs involve illegal activity?” She crossed her arms in concern.</p><p>            “I wouldn’t say illegal but it’s usually pretty hush, hush,” the dark haired imperial explained.</p><p>            Teldryn groaned, “I swear if it’s another skooma pushing operation, I’m out. I don’t care how much he pays us.”</p><p>            Felyndiira was curious about the ‘another’ part of that comment but decided to wait to ask about it until she wasn’t sitting with her family. “Where can we find him?” She turned back to Sorex.</p><p>            “He’s usually hanging around the market,” he answered and gave a shrug. “Not a lot of argonians around. He’s the red one.”</p><p>            “Not a lot of red headed Imperials around, do they distinguish him from the rest by saying ‘the red one’?” Teldryn lifted a brow. Braenna cleared her throat and covered a smile with her hand.</p><p>            “Divines you’re such a smart ass...” Lydia pinched the bridge of her nose.</p><p>            Corpulus looked at the mercenary for a moment before eventually forcing a nervous laugh. “I think I’m starting to understand dark elf humor. You all have this certain sarcastic, spiteful approach to your wit that I’ll have to get used to eventually. A couple years back I might have punched ya for that.” He chuckled while wagging a finger at Teldryn. “Anyway, son, show them to the scaly bastard.”</p><p>            Sorex needed no other urging to get out of the inn.</p><p>            They followed Sorex to the market and he gave a point to the argonian with bright red and pinkish scales standing at the food stall. He was tilting his head, looking at the meat when Felyndiira walked up and then promptly noticed Sorex had abandoned them.</p><p>            “Oh,” she said, which got the man’s attention. He turned to her, but she was still looking for Sorex. “Hello,” she stuttered, off guard now.</p><p>            “Good morning, pretty traveler. How are you today?” He smiled at her and then looked at Teldryn and Lydia. He had pale eyes with long, narrow slits for pupils. His head was wide and flat, almost snake-like, with feathers lying thickly atop his head. He was taller than both her and Teldryn, but not as tall as Lydia, and dressed in casual clothes of dark green and tan.</p><p>            “Well, I suppose,” she answered him. She wasn’t sure how to bring up a <em>hush hush </em>job. “But I find myself in need of some coin, and I was told you may have a way to earn some?” she asked, trying to sound casual.</p><p>            “Really now? Hmm….” He looked her over again, his attention on her changing from one of courtesy to interest. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you before, I would have surely remembered.”</p><p>            “I’m new,” she confirmed. “Not staying too long.”</p><p>            “Yes, that will do nicely,” he mused and rubbed his chin, his gaze flicking to the lady at the food stand who was still in ear shot. “Come with me.” He started to lead them away as he continued, “I’ve got a little work for you and your friends if you’re interested.”</p><p>            “What kind of work did you have in mind?” Teldryn asked.</p><p>            “Eager, eager,” the argonian chuckled, but he kept his eyes on Felyndiira. “I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Jaree-Ra and you will be helping me and my sister, Deeja, collect a few things,” Jaree-Ra explained, holding out his arm for Felyndiira. “I am especially pleased to meet you.”</p><p>            She took his hand to shake, noting how his scaled flesh felt in her hand, smooth yet firm under her touch, almost like he was wearing gloves. “I’m Felyndiira, and these are my friends,” she settled on the word quickly, not wanting to flash titles around. She glanced pointedly at Lydia, hoping the word <em>Thane </em>wouldn’t be brought up. “Lydia and Teldryn, respectfully. We just came to Solitude to visit and need money to get east.”</p><p>            “Very good, then we ought to get along just fine.” He nodded to them all and offered his hand to shake. Lydia took it with a forced smile, all the while looking at his leathery hand in hers. Teldryn, with crosses arms, nodded his head at the argonian.</p><p>            “What are we collecting, Jaree?” the mercenary asked.</p><p>            “Well, you see, my sister and I are treasure hunters. We like to collect things everywhere we go. It's easy to find things to sell. Things nobody will miss. Things from underground, or just left lying around…” the way he said it implied something more public. “Why should things that won’t be miss collect dust when they can be traded for gold, hmm?” He leaned closer to Felyndiira, meeting her gaze and she gave him a nod, telling him she understood. He grinned, showing razor teeth. “I like you, I think we could be friends,” he said and rested his hand on her shoulder.</p><p>            Felyndiira heard a growl behind her, she wasn’t sure if it came from Lydia or Teldryn, she didn’t look back at them. “Friendships can be lucrative,” she agreed, leaning into his touch some. “What do you need us to do?”</p><p>            “We can help each other, I think,” he hummed and leaned against a nearby wall. He paused as some imperial soldiers marched by. “Why don’t we take the next step in collecting things that won’t be missed?”</p><p>            Felyndiira thought about what Sorex said, how Jaree wasn’t quite legitimate. “What’s the next step?”</p><p>            “With the war, many more ships come through these docks. Loaded with weapons and pay, but few people. And they pass through dangerous waters,” he explained, his expression cool as if he were talking about the weather. “We have an interest in one of these boats, the Icerunner.”</p><p>            Lydia’s frown only got deeper from there. She fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation but her sense of duty was strong and so she followed her Thane.</p><p>            Teldryn looked relatively unsurprised by the conversation and but frowned in thought.</p><p>            “What about this boat?” Felyndiira asked, tilting her head up at the argonian.</p><p>            “The Solitude Lighthouse will be guiding it in... but if its fire were to go out, the Icerunner would swing wide and run aground,” Jaree-Ra speculated, his gaze rising to the pale sky innocently.</p><p>            Felyndiira frowned deeply. “And the sailors?” She didn’t want to kill anyone that didn’t deserve it. “These aren’t pirates, right? They’re just sailors doing their jobs….”</p><p>            “Simple sailors they are, but one shouldn’t worry her pretty head about them. We would make sure they wash up safe, dearie. Maybe they would even pay us for the heroic rescue from such a sad crash.” The argonian smiled at her reassuringly. She started seeing the plan lay out before her, it wasn’t all that bad, when he described it the way he did.</p><p>            “We shouldn’t even be considering this,” the Housecarl whispered to her. She glanced at Jaree-Ra with a disgusted look. “I mean, setting up a wreck? We should turn him in to the guards.”</p><p>            The argonian crossed his thick, red arms. “Turn me in? For what? What crime's been committed?”</p><p>            Lydia looked at him, confused by his question.</p><p>            “Haven’t you been paying attention, Lydia. We’ve just been making idle talk about what could possibly be a tragic event... should the lighthouse not do its job,” Teldryn explained, his face hidden by his helmet. The nord woman’s blue eyes widened in realization. He was right.</p><p>            “A tragic, and very, very profitable event,” Jaree-Ra added in.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked at Teldryn. She knew Lydia’s point of view. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. They weren’t killing anyone and Jaree said they’d only take what wouldn’t be missed...</p><p>            “What do you think, Teldryn?”</p><p>            Her fellow dark elf sighed in thought. “Could be quite a few things on the ship worth collecting. On the other hand, whoever would be ballsy enough to put out the fire, might be looking at quite a bit of time behind bars or a very brief moment on the chopping block.” He bit his lip and looked at her. “I don’t know, it’s risky but it’s ultimately up to you, Fel– boss,” he corrected himself.</p><p>            Felyndiira nodded, thinking about that. She wondered if she could tempt fate again or if it would result in the Empire succeeding in what it had already attempted. She glanced at Jaree. “Who does the Icerunner work for?” She needed to know who she was hurting, that mattered to her almost as much as the lives of the people on board.</p><p>            “It is an Imperial ship of course. So, much of what is on it wouldn’t be missed. The Empire has so much already.” Jaree responded with a wink.</p><p>            “Imperial ship means imperial guards along with the crew,” Teldryn commented.</p><p>            “Indeed, the ones chosen to put out the fire would surely thank the divines to not have to deal with that,” the argonian added.</p><p>            Felyndiira nodded. “So all <em>we</em> do is put out the fire.” The argonian nodded. “And no one will die,” she clarified. Another nod.</p><p>            It seemed so easy. The Lighthouse wasn’t too far away, she’d been to it before, so she knew how to get there. If there were guards or people to deal with, she had help and they could just… knock them out or something, no one had to die. And they didn’t even have to deal with the shipwreck themselves. They were just getting paid to put out a fire.</p><p>            “All right. We’ll deal with the fire.”</p><p>            “The Icerunner is expected at sundown. You have some time to go on about your day, but you’ll need to have the fire out before the sun sets. If it’s out too long, other ships will notice and then the guards will have it relit, so the timing is important.” He smiled then and tilted his head at her thoughtfully. “Until then, it would be best if we spoke little to each other. Though I hate to see a pretty face go–” he reached to touch her again, but Teldryn’s hand snapped out and seized the argonian’s forearm.</p><p>            “But you’ll love to watch her leave, yeah yeah we get it,” Teldryn growled through his helm. He released the argonian when he started to pull away.</p><p>            Felyndiira glanced over at Teldryn, but saved her comment and smiled at the argonian. “We’ll be at the lighthouse at sundown. Then we meet you at the docks after?”</p><p>            “Yes, then I could direct you to the loot.” Jaree nodded at her with a chuckle. “And perhaps we’ll meet for drinks afterwards.”</p><p>            “Sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile. He bowed and left, saying he’d let his sister know, and Felyndiira turned to her party. Lydia crossed her arms and shook her head, looking disappointed. “What?” Felyndiira asked, deflating some.</p><p>            “This is wrong!” she hissed at her Thane, her eyes flashing in anger. “You and that... that... argonian are going to steal from the Empire. I don’t care for Imperial rule either and the mercenary even called them a bunch of heartless bastards but that doesn’t make it right.”</p><p>            “Then don’t go with us,” Teldryn suggested.</p><p>            “You stay out of this! The fact that you didn’t raise any objections puts you and that scheming lizard at the same level to me,” the Housecarl jabbed a finger at him.</p><p>            “Teldryn’s right, Lydia, maybe you should stay back with my mom while we go,” Felyndiira said. She felt bad immediately, seeing the look on the nord’s face.</p><p>            The Housecarl seemed shocked at her suggestion. Her mouth opened and closed. Her blue eyes looked at the ground, defeated. “As you wish, my Thane...” she said with a nod and departed back to the inn.</p><p>            Felyndiira looked over at Teldryn. “Am I a horrible person?” she asked. “Because I really feel like it now….”</p><p>            “If you have to ask, then no.” The mercenary shook his head. “You’re at least empathetic enough to be concerned about other people’s feelings.”</p><p>            She relaxed a little at that. “Thanks. I want to go look at the horses the stable has since we have time before we need to... take care of business.”</p><p>            He nodded, “Lead on, boss.”</p><p>            Felyndiira led the way toward the gates and remembered something. “So, what was that about doing another skooma run?” She thought now was as good a time as any to ask since Lydia wasn’t around to make him clam up or lash out.</p><p>            His brows raised at the question, not expecting it. “Oh, yeah…. My line of work tends to get me in more than a few dodgy situations. In the earlier years of my career, I found myself being hired as protection for drug smugglers and their operations.” He shook his head his voice sounded as if he were frowning. “Between the run-ins with the law, all the backstabbing, and general skooma use within the operations... tt just got too much to deal with. So, I said ‘de dradihn enhi el (to oblivion with it)’ and since then, I refuse to work with drug pushers.”</p><p>            She nodded. “Have you ever tried skooma?” she asked when they made it outside the gates and away from the guards.</p><p>            He didn’t speak for a moment, she wished she could see his face. “No, though as a young one I was curious as why my father seemed to rely on it so heavily. I’m not sure if it was the stress of his job or what that pushed him to it but... the only time he seemed to be remotely interested in being a father and husband was when he was on it or wanted the coin for it. Then when the high would wear off, he’d become the meanest son of a bitch in the world,” Teldryn growled. “One day, he got a bad batch and died. He left us with nothing... not even enough to take care of his carcass. My mother and I wound up on the streets for a while before we worked our way back up. All because of that damned drug….” Teldryn cleared his throat. “Ironically, it was the mercenary work for the skooma operations that allowed me to take care of my mother during her final years…. Sorry, you asked a simple question and I just... dumped my life story on you.”</p><p>            “Don’t apologize, Teldryn,” she said and rested her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about your father, but,” she paused to look into the eye guards of his helmet, “you’ve learned from his mistakes and instead of following him, you acted against it.” She let her hand drop, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.</p><p>            “I…. Thank you, Felyndiira.” He tilted his head as if to look at her hand, and then he turned back to the road head..</p><p>            They were quiet for a while, walking down the path toward the stables. She steered them toward the paddock where Ashier was without a word. Teldryn didn’t comment. Finally Felyndiira spoke, petting Ashier’s snout. “I don’t know how to feel about Corpulus…”</p><p>            “Seems a right asshole to me,” Teldryn commented while facing the mare. “I know he helped your mother avoid the streets but….” He shook his head. “I suppose it’s not my place to say.”</p><p>            “Please,” she looked at him. “Say it. I want to hear.”</p><p>            Teldryn explained how he saw the situation, and Felyndiira listened, and eventually gave her side. They talked for a long time about her feelings and even though it didn’t change anything, it made her feel better. It was nice to be able to talk about personal things with someone that didn’t judge her or make her feel guilty. She found herself staring at Teldryn’s helm more than once, wishing she could see his face as they spoke.</p><p>            Eventually, they went to the horses, looking over the ones that were for sale. The stablehand she’d talked to the day before was happy to see her back and showed her the stallion she had mentioned. He was a massive, thing with fur so dark brown it looked black unless the sun’s light reflected off it. He would cost her a thousand gold pieces. When Felyndiira asked about a second horse, she showed them a couple of other horses, older than the stallion and not as steel-hearted, but any would serve as a good traveling companion to the stallion.</p><p>            Teldryn favored a blood bay mare that was not a native Skyrim draft horse, but instead was lean and looked quick. She had a short black mane and tail with a white blaze running down her forehead to the tip of her nose. For the two, the stable would take one thousand, five hundred gold pieces. That isn’t including the gear that both would need.</p><p>            Felyndiira hoped that the job would pay at least a good chunk of that. There was no way to guarantee it.</p><p>            With a glance at the sky, she noted the sun was low, and they could probably make it to the lighthouse with time to check it out before dealing with the fire. “We should get going.”</p><p>            He shrugged. “Right behind you, boss.”</p><p>            As they started to leave, Felyndiira was reminded of something Teldryn had said before. She grinned and glanced over at him. “So, you like to watch me leave, huh?” She thought back to what he’d said to Jaree earlier.</p><p>            “What? Oh! Uh...” the mercenary rubbed the back of his chitin helmet and chuckled. “I was just filling in what he was going to say... I mean it’s a common phrase in this land, right?” he asked nervously.</p><p>            She smiled at that, wondering what his face looked like under his helmet. “I’m sure it is, I’ve not heard it, though,” she said and gave him a shrug. “So what’s it mean?”</p><p>            “Well, uh, when they say, ‘hate to see you go’ they mean that your company was good and they wish you didn’t have to go. But when they say, ‘love to watch you leave….’ It’s because uh… you have something pleasing on your backside that they like to look at as you depart like... your ass, or general hip and waist area.” He cleared his throat loudly. “That’s what he was going to say, I think.”</p><p>            Felyndiira was having too much fun. But she decided to let him off the hook and nodded with a smile. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment then.”</p><p>            “Interested in him, are you?” the mercenary asked, turning towards her.</p><p>            She snorted. “I’m not sure about interested, but I’m not going to fall right into his arms,” she said. “Besides, I’m not sure what my mother would do if I came home with anyone other than a dark elf.” Then she tilted her head, and added, “Not that she has a whole lot of room to talk, but I’m sure she’ll say I have more choice than she did.”</p><p>            “A Thane of Whiterun and Dragonborn certainly does have more variety to choose from. With those titles, you could probably have whoever you wish,” Teldryn said, almost matter-of-factly. “I understand though, my mother was the same way and she also had no room to talk.”</p><p>            “Was your father not dark elf?” she asked, curious about the last statement.</p><p>            “He was a dark elf. My mother became a whore after he died,” Teldryn stated nonchalantly.</p><p>            “Oh... I suppose that’s...” she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. It wasn’t something she felt comfortable asking if she enjoyed or felt forced into, as either answer could turn dark.</p><p>            “Hypocritical and quite ironic? Absolutely, here this woman is having all the races of Tamriel in her bed –and bragging about it to her friends, I might add– but I should only lie with dunmer women. Not that courting one of your kinsmen is a bad thing but…. Well, you get the idea,” the mercenary explained with a sigh.</p><p>            “Did you find someone that suited you?” she asked, thinking of Vilkas briefly. It was quick, and short, but she hadn’t felt anything like it before.</p><p>            Teldryn tilted his head in thought. “No, not yet,” he concluded. “There were times when I thought I did but…” he shook his head. “It never ended up working out.”</p><p>            She nodded and looked over at the port as they crossed a bridge arching over it. “I appreciate you talking to me, Teldryn, it means a lot.”</p><p>            “It would be a long and boring time if we didn’t. Though, I’ll admit I’ve really enjoyed our time together so far as well.” The mercenary looked at her.</p><p>            She found herself wishing she could see his face again. “Do you think this job will be worth it?” she asked.</p><p>            He shrugged. “It’s hard to say. I guess it depends on what the ship is carrying and what exactly he and his sister define as ‘things that won’t be missed’. On top of that, they’re the ones deciding how much of the cut we get.” He looked ahead and sighed heavily. “I don’t know. I’m not the type that does work without knowing what I’m guaranteed.”</p><p>            "Wish you would have brought that up sooner..." she sighed. She didn't even think of that. She should have secured a percentage of the cut, or at least gotten an idea of what her cut would come out to be.</p><p>            “I didn’t really feel the need to say anything considering we have a fairly simple job. Although, if you don’t like the amount that they’ll give us, I can always rough them up for you and see if we can renegotiate the pay,” he offered.</p><p>            She smiled at that, imagining the dark elf taking on the argonian and his yet-to-be-seen sister. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”</p><p>            The lighthouse came into view and she paused, noting there were no guards.</p><p>            “You’d think someone would be here to make sure it stays lit….”</p><p>            “It can’t possibly be that easy. Perhaps they’re in the stairway up? Hmm.” Teldryn stared at the place for a moment seemingly in thought. “I’m going to check it out,” he finally decided, taking off his helmet and armor.</p><p>            She stared at him for a moment. “Why are you taking off your armor?”</p><p>            “So I look as non-threatening as possible to anyone I may find there. That, and go up to put the fire out, they won’t recognize me,” he explained while pulling off his gauntlets and unstrapping the chitin pieces from himself.</p><p>            Felyndiira offered to take pieces to make it go quicker. He was just as lean as she expected, tightly wound muscles, pale from lack of sun and scarred here and there under the layer of chitin and leather he wore near constantly.</p><p>            “Just going to pretend to be a beggar?” she asked when he got down to his under armor.</p><p>            “That’s the plan. Could they blame a poor man for wanting to warm himself by a fire?” The mercenary smirked.</p><p>            She smiled back and nodded. “Hopefully it’ll be as easy as spashing some water on it and getting down to the docks.” Then she tilted her head. “What will you do if you find someone? What will we do to put the light out?”</p><p>            “If we do have company, I’ll tell you all about it and we’ll form a plan from there, hopefully an idea that doesn’t involve killing. We don’t need to dig ourselves into a hole if we don’t have to,” he explained. Teldryn looked at her and smiled, showing his brilliant teeth. “Jikhi lo kuayl (wish me luck)?”</p><p>            His crimson eyes locked on her purple ones. “Good luck,” she said and leaned in, kissing his cheek briefly.</p><p>            She thought she saw his cheeks brighten a bit but he didn’t stick around for her to find out as he made his way to the lighthouse.</p><p>            He made it all the way down, creeping along with soft footfalls on his bare feet. He got all the way to the steps and started climbing up them with no one stopping him.</p><p>            Felyndiira watched the lighthouse expectantly. Then she heard voices. She jumped and spun around, noticing a couple of Solitude guards coming by with torches lifted. Remembering the empty armor she had, she quickly dumped it into a bush, kicking the gear out of sight, and tried to look like she wasn’t scoping out the lighthouse.</p><p>            She took to kneeling beside a cluster of mountain flowers. If the guards looked her way, she would just look like she was collecting alchemy ingredients. She watched them out the corner of her eye, hoping they’d just keep on down the road, but they took the road down to the lighthouse. One of them climbed up the steps, and Felyndiira held her breath, biting her lip in fear as she waited for the guard to come back, throwing Teldryn from the lighthouse. The guards might stay if they suspected a beggar would come back the moment they left.</p><p>            A tap on her left shoulder jolted her from her vigil and she looked to see that there was no one there.</p><p>            She glanced this way and that and then back to the guards. The one that went up into the lighthouse came back and motioned for the other two to follow him.</p><p>            Felyndiira turned back around to see what had touched her.</p><p>            “Boo!” A dark face with red eyes appeared before her, suddenly very close, only a breath away..</p><p>            Felyndiira screamed in surprise before her brain realized it was Teldryn.</p><p>            His hand went to cover her mouth to shush her. The effort was futile however as her fellow dark elf couldn’t contain his mischievous smile and a chuckle. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he laughed, “I couldn’t help myself”</p><p>            She instinctively slapped his arm, in the way meant to shock but not harm, and gasped at him. “Why would you do that?” Her gaze went to the guards that looked at them, but continued on, probably realizing she wasn’t in danger. But her face was bright violet with her blush warming her cheeks.</p><p>            He took a few breaths to calm himself down and shook his head. He looked at her expression and softened, “Osé bahrjulihn (I’m sorry/guilty), I didn’t mean to scare you so badly.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>            She sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine,” she ran a hand through her hair and then noticed his hand and shifted. He removed it then, and she checked on the guard’s position. “They’ll be back by in around an hour I believe,” she said, trying to remember how long the road went and how far the guards usually patrolled this way. It had been a while since she had to think about that. “That should give us time to put the fire out and get out of here, but I wonder if it’ll be enough for the Icerunner to…” she didn’t like finishing that sentence.</p><p>            “If there’s one thing I know about the East Empire Trading Company, it’s how punctual they demand ships be. They’ll charge you for making them late, so if Jaree says the Icerunner will be here at sundown, it better be,” Teldryn said and started looking around. “Where’s my armor?”</p><p>            “Oh.” She showed him and helped him get armored back up.</p><p>            By the time they got up to the lighthouse, the sun was nearly set. They used the water nearby to take out the fire, and when it was quenched, they made for the docks.</p><p>            There were lots of people despite how late it was. Workers loaded and unloaded ships with all sorts of boxes and animals. All the races of Tamriel worked here, and for a moment, Felyndiira feared she and Teldryn wouldn’t be able to find Jaree.</p><p>            “There he is,” Teldryn pointed out a red scaled argonian with thick feathers along the top of his head.</p><p>            “The red one,” Felyndiira said with a smile and Teldryn smirked.</p><p>            They made their way over to Jaree who was leaning against a light pole. He was watching an emptying docking space, and Felyndiira didn’t have to ask to know that was the place the Icerunner was supposed to be. By the look of the workers hanging around, the Icerunner was late, and Teldryn was right about them not being happy about it. No one seemed worried, they all assumed it was late because of negligence on the crew’s part.</p><p>            Jaree noticed her and smiled broadly. “Ah, my new friends,” he said and beckoned them over. When Felyndiira was close enough, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started down the dock, ignoring Teldryn. “As you can see, the Icerunner is late. My sister’s out where we anticipated they would end up. She’s got my instructions on giving you your reward.”</p><p>            “Speaking of,” Felyndiira cut in, looking up at him so she could see Teldryn over his shoulder out of the corner of her eye. “How much do you anticipate it will be.”</p><p>            “Oh, it’s really impossible to tell,” Jaree warned. “It all depends on what the ship has. But I promise you’ll get plenty.” He stopped walking and took her hands in his, looking at her squarely. “None of this would have been possible without you.” Felyndiira glanced at Teldryn and Jaree shifted. “Of course, you and your counterpart will have to decide how to split your portion, you are counted as one as far as the job goes,” he added.</p><p>            Felyndiira expected this and noticed Teldryn’s nod. “That’s fine,” she said, looking up at Jaree. The argonian smiled again and tilted his head down at her.</p><p>            “I look forward to getting a drink with you later,” he purred, his voice low so Teldryn wouldn’t be able to hear. “We could lose the muscle and find somewhere quiet. Give you something to remember Solitude by before you head east.”</p><p>            Felyndiira wanted to laugh at him. She had no plans of spending any more time with him than she had to for this work, but she didn’t think that would help her here. So she smiled up at him. “Sounds good to me.”</p><p>            He hummed, his eyelids hanging heavily over his eyes as he let his green eyes roll down her face to her lips. “Maybe a preview before you go receive your reward?”</p><p>            Felyndiira almost looked back at Teldryn, but she didn’t, and instead smiled up at the argonian. She stretched up onto her toes and touched her lips to the argonian’s. He slipped a hand around her waist, pulling her against him briefly. His lips were smooth scales, and they were cool to the touch. It was different, from kissing Vilkas or Scars. Jaree didn’t push into it, and he didn’t part his lips. He pulled away and smiled down at her.</p><p>            “Tell my sister I want you to meet us back at our hideout and she’ll bring you and your friend,” he jerked his chin to Teldryn on the last word. “We’ve got better food and drink than you can find here.”</p><p>            “All right,” Felyndiira said and stepped back. “Where’s your sister?”</p><p>            He explained how to get to the crash site, or at least where Deeja was waiting before it happened, he guessed they’d be able to find it rather easily.</p><p>            When she and Teldryn left, she noticed how the other dark elf seemed to be avoiding looking at her. She knew it had to do with Jaree and she cleared her throat before saying. “I don’t think I’m going to ask about their hide out.”</p><p>            “Oh?”</p><p>            “Yeah, I think the food and company back at the Winking Skeever is more than enough for me,” she explained. He nodded, but he didn’t seem as stiff anymore.</p><p>            When they got to the spot, the ship wasn’t far away. Teldryn pointed it out almost the same moment she saw it. As they approached, there were several men in armor loading up rowboats with crates and sacks from the run-aground ship. Felyndiira frowned some, she didn’t see any sailors.</p><p>            Maybe they were already ‘saved’ and were on their way to the port now.</p><p>            “Hey,” a nord came forward. Felyndiira stopped, lifting her chin to look up at the man coming forward. “You’re the one that put out the fire at the lighthouse, right?”</p><p>            “Yes, we put it out,” she answered.</p><p>            “That was good work,” he complimented. “Deeja’s in the hold, go two levels down.” He jerked his chin toward the boat. “Take what you like on the way down.”</p><p>            Her brows pulled together, but she nodded and started for the ship. The others all but ignored her as they continued to load up the rowboats.</p><p>            “Think they told the sailors they’d bring the supplies to port for them?” she offered to Teldryn who shifted, tilting his head around like he was considering it.</p><p>            They made it into the ship and passed more of Jaree and Deeja’s men on their way down. As they went, Felyndiira felt more uneasy, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.</p><p>            The bottom of the ship was partly flooded, water poured in from where the hull had been breached. She and Teldryn waded through the water and finally reached the room where large chests sat open and a female argonian leaned against one, reading a letter. She glanced up at Felyndiira and Teldryn, her green eyes similar to Jaree’s, while her scales were green instead of red. They shared the same, snake-shaped head.</p><p>            “My brother told me you were coming,” she said and tucked the note into a strap of her leather armor. “I’m supposed to give you what you’ve earned.” Deeja turned to the chest she was leaning against and lifted the lid.</p><p>            Felyndiira hoped their gold was in there. She wanted to get out of this ship as soon as possible. “So, what’s our cut of the loot?”</p><p>            She laughed and spun around so fast, Felyndiira was on the ground before she realized it.Deeja hovered over the prone dark elf and used her tail to throw Teldryn aside. She lifted a glass dagger over Felyndiira. “I’m afraid the loot’s already gone. You’ve been useful to the Blackbloods, though. You’ve earned a quick death.”</p><p>            And then plunged the dagger into Felyndiira’s chest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That sure was a natural end wasn't it? Lol.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know your thoughts so far and as we go along!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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